War of the Weyrs
by ITookTheOneLessTravelledBy
Summary: It's been five hundred turns since the Red Star dropped Thread on Pern, and no one else believes it will return. No one but Elienya. But what can one drudge due to prepare an entire planet? When Elienya finds viable proof of Thread's existence, but the Weyrleader of Benden Weyr ignores her near a Fall, she takes matters into her own hands, causing a civil war among the Weyrs.
1. The Candidate

As a drudge, Elienya went largely unnoticed by the general populace of the Weyr. No one noticed the girl who cleaned out the hearth, scrubbed dishes in the lower caverns, or replaced dimglows. It largely suited her purposes, as she enjoyed observing without participating, stealing little tidbits of gossip if she thought it might be useful. Although people considered to be daft and dumb, she had a very quick wit and cunning intellect rarely seen in the lower caverns.

Crouching in the hearth, Elienya scraped out the coals and washed it with fresh water. She listened to a Wingsecond and Wingleader who spoke over cards, barely giving another glance to the working drudge.

"The rebels are causing trouble again," said the Wingsecond, a brownrider named N'ten.

"They're harmless," said bronzerider K'nessan.

N'ten slapped a hard onto the table, and K'nessan grunted. "I don't know, K'nessan. If they broke into the Weyr, they could do a lot of damage. They've been raiding tithe caravans and stealing weapons and food."

"Swords and arrows will do little good against a flaming dragon," said K'nessan.

"You and I both know the dragons would never harm a human."

"The rebels don't know that. Besides, if it was to protect their rider, the dragons would attack."

"I suppose that's true."

They lapsed into silence, allowing Elienya to mull over the information. The rebels had formed a few Turns ago, when the Red Star had been nearly bracketed by the Eye Rock, heralding the approach of Thread. At least, that's what Elienya believed. Everyone else called her a fool, a simpleton, for her beliefs. Thread hadn't fallen in over three hundred turns, and it would never fall again. The dragons were becoming obsolete, and tithes were coming few and far between. Worse than that, Weyrleader V'neron and Weyrwoman Clara were content to let the Weyr's reputation deteriorate. Currently, Gold Herth guarded a clutch of twenty two eggs, a number that should've been doubled this close to a pass.

 _If I had command,_ thought Elienya, _things would be different._

After she finished her chores, Elienya lugged the bucket of ashy water from the Weyr and emptied it in the bowl. The sunlight glinted overhead, piercing the morning mist wreathing the Weyr in a grey cloud. The lake gleamed, barely visible, in the center of the bowl, alongside a series of pens with wherries and herdbeasts tucked inside. The Weyr entrances stood out like gaping mouths on the rock wall, with dragons lounging on their ledges or sunning themselves.

The watch dragon stood on the heights of the Eye Stone, its head turned towards the horizon. Elienya frowned. She reached out her thoughts and tentatively brushed against blue Fareth's conscience. She'd learned to hide her gift at a very young age. When she told the other Weyrbrats she could hear all dragons, it resulted in taunting, jeers, and the occasional beating. Once she got older, no one believed a stupid drudge, and she stopped trying to convince them of her ability.

Despite the utter lack of danger, Fareth felt ill at ease the longer he gazed at the horizon. His tail twitched restlessly from side to side, and his eyes were an alarmed orange.

Elienya followed his gaze. The blue felt unease because the Red Star loomed in that direction, a dark, ominous presence heralding death and destruction if the dragons of Pern didn't rise to sear the Thread.

How did the Harper songs go?

" _Wheel and turn,_

 _Or bleed and burn.  
Fly between,  
Blue and green.  
Soar, dive down,  
Bronze and brown  
Dragonmen must fly  
When Threads are in the sky."_

Why didn't anybody listen to the songs the Harpers strove so diligently to teach everyone? Drangonmen must fly when Thread are in the sky. Even if his rider didn't believe, Fareth knew the Red Star was dangerous. His innate draconic instincts prepared him to fight, while centuries of peace prepared the dragonmen to fall.

Shaking her head, Elienya turned and strode back into the lower caverns. The Weyr had roused for the morning, and she hurried into the kitchen to help prepare the morning meal. She brewed a few pots of _klah_ on the hearth, and helped slice redfruit to stir into the porridge. Headwoman Veteny bustled about, her sizable girth wrapped about in a thin white apron above a brown woolen dress. Her hair held more grey than brown, and generous lines wrinkled her face, but her brown eyes were lively and fierce.

"The Candidates will be arriving today," she bellowed. "We'll need to prepare extra breakfast, lunch, and dinner for our guests. Also, all available drudges will need to clean out the candidates quarters." She gave Elienya a pointed glare, shooing her away from the honeyed buns she'd deposited in the hearth. Bobbing a curtsy, Elienya turned and hurried from the room. As she headed out of the lower caverns to clean the candidate alcoves, a commotion in the Bowl drew her eye. Although she didn't want to irk Headwoman Veteny, Elienya's curiosity drove her to the Bowl.

Three dragons were perched on the grass, their talons forming gouges in the dirt. Green Corth, Green Pelyth, and Brown Xisith. The dragonriders all had the _S_ of Searchriders emblazoned on their shoulder knots, and with a jolt Elienya realized the dragonriders had called the weyrbrats to Search.

Frustration surged through her. Why wasn't she notified? Because she was a lowly drudge, too stupid to impress. Normally she relished the way people underestimated her because it gave her an advantage, but in this particular situation, it thoroughly irritated her. She deserved to stand on the Hatching Grounds. She deserved to Impress a Queen and become Benden Weyr's Junior Weyrwoman.

Wary of the other Weyrbrats, Elienya slipped from the shadows of the Weyrbowl and crossed to join the crowd. Other than a few dismissive darts of eyes, no one paid her any attention. She lingered in the back, afraid that if one of the dragonriders spotted her, they would dismiss her to the lower caverns before the dragons had a chance to assess her potential.

After a few minutes, a soft, inquisitive voice flowed through her mind. _Why do you hide from me, little one_? asked green Pelyth.

A proud smile lifted Elienya's lips. "I'm not hiding," she whispered.

 _Yes, you are. You are very strong, but you're shielding yourself from me._

Elienya cocked her head to the side. "I am?" The other Weyrbrats near her turned with whispers of confusion and frowns, but she ignored them.

 _Yes. It makes it hard to read your full potential._

Elienya's heart lurched into her throat. What if she wasn't chosen? At sixteen, it was the first year she was eligible to Impress, and she wanted her first hatching to be her last.

 _What's your name?_ asked Pelyth.

"Elienya," she whispered.

"Will Elienya please step forward?" called T'van, green Pelyth's rider. Smothering a smirk, Elienya slipped past the other Weyrbrats, who were startled to find a drudge among them. Surprise widened T'van's eyes at the sight of the dirt smeared across Elienya's arms and dress from the hearth, and the tangled disrepair of her long blonde hair. If the contrasting color of her pale brown eyes intrigued him, he gave no outward sign of it.

"You've been chosen on Search, Elienya. Do you accept?"

She curtsied. "Of course, greenrider T'van."

T'van looked pleased she remembered his name. "Very good. Report to the candidate barracks."

Elation buoyed Elienya's spirits. To think, she'd been tasked with cleaning the very same barracks not an hour earlier! She would prove to all of them she was worthy of accolade. Without waiting for the other Weyrbrats, she turned and headed back into the Weyr. On the way, she paused for a bucket and mop and cleaned the candidate alcove she'd chosen as her own. It had four wooden beds partitioned by curtains, with white candidate robes lining pegs on the wall. It was closest to the bathing quarters at the end of the hall, and she wanted to be nearby in the event she had to bathe and head to the Hatching Ground quickly. Although she was used to working in filth, she wanted to clean to Impress her gold dragonet.


	2. The Competition

After she'd finished, Elienya brought her meager belongings from the lower cavern quarters to the candidate alcove. On the way, she ran into Headwoman Veteny, who's expression creased sternly.

"Elienya," she barked. "What did I tell you? I expect those candidate alcoves to be clean enough to eat off of."

Elienya bowed. "My apologies, Headwoman Veteny, but I only managed to clean one."

"What do you mean, you've only managed to clean one?"

"I've been chosen on Search, Headwoman."

Elienya relished the surprise that flashed across Headwoman Veteny's face. "Ah. Yes. Well, I see. In that case, congratulations." Shaking her head in obvious befuddlement, Headwoman Veteny turned and strode back in the direction she'd come. After she moved her belongings, Elienya soaked herself in a long, hot bath. She scrubbed at the ash and soot on her arms until her pale skin shone, red from scrubbing, and brushed out her long blonde hair until it gleamed. Then, she toweled it dry and changed into a fresh, clean white dress for breakfast.

By the time she returned to the kitchen, the other Weyrbrats had trickled in, looking either exultant or dejected. She recognized a few of them, having grown up together, and wondered at the draconic choices. Gertoly, a noble-hearted young man who never told a lie, had been passed over, but Ferken, a nasty boy with a mean temper and even meaner tongue, had been chosen on Search. Timid Celia had been chosen, but outspoken, rambunctious Ariana had been left in the lower caverns.

Rather than sit with the others, Elienya took a bowl of porridge with redfruit, a cup of _klah_ , and sat off to one side to eat by herself. The other Candidates startled to trickle in as the morning drew on, dropped off by the Searchriders. The Holders and Crafters all wore identical expressions of shock and amazement, their eyes wide and their jaws slack. The Headwoman bustled out to meet them and ushered them into seats, plying them with porridge, refruit, _klah_ , and sweet buns. Her voice carried above the growing cacophony as other dragonriders streamed in for breakfast.

"The Candidate Master will be with you shortly, dearies," said Headwoman Veteny. "Once you eat, you can get situated in your new barracks." She left them to their meals, and while they ate, Elienya sized up her competition. There were more boys than girls, but the girls, she noticed, were all very pretty. There was a plump girl with rosy cheeks and full rosebud lips, whose brunette curls hung past her shoulders. There was another girl with pretty bronze skin, curling black hair, and pale grey eyes. The last was a timid creature who gazed shyly at her plate and food and spoke sparingly to the other Candidates.

Overall, Elienya thought she had a fair shot at the queen egg.

"Good morning, Candidates." A short man strode into the kitchen, wearing the _C_ of Candidatemaster on his brown shoulder knots. "I am C'zenen, rider of Brown Firoth, and I'll be your Candidatemaster. I'll show you to your barracks, now." The Holders and Crafters rose as one and trickled after the Candidatemaster, followed by the other Weyrbrats.

"I would advise you to take the time to get to know your fellow bunkmates," he said as they walked. "If you Impress, you'll be training together for a long, long time. Now, the boys and girls will be separated. The boys will be here—" he pointed to one side of the alcoves "—and the girls will be here." He gestured to Elienya's alcove. "Once you're settled, meet me in the Weyrbowl and we'll begin your lessons." Without waiting for any questions or comments, he turned and strode out.

The other girls strode into her room, and Elienya followed, studying them curiously.

The girl with the bronze skin flung her satchel onto the trunk at the foot of the bed next to Elienya, plopped onto the bed, and folded her hands behind her head with a dreamy smile. "Ah, to be in a Weyr at last!" She rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin in her hands, a grin on her face. The pretty brunette sniffed at her behavior and took her time folding her clothes neatly in her chest, while the shy girl nibbled on her lower lip and gazed at the satchel in her hands, at a loss for what to do.

"Have you never been to a Weyr before?" asked Elienya.

The girl grimaced. "My parents only admitted me to visit once, for a Gather in Benden Weyr. But I've always longed to come back."

"Why?" squeaked the shy girl. "Isn't it…frightening?"

"Frightening? By the egg, no!" The bronze-skinned girl made a face as if that were the most preposterous thing she'd ever heard. "It's enchanting. It's magical. Women have more rights in the Weyr than we do in the Hold. We don't have to marry, or bear children if we don't want to. Our bodies are ours to do with as we please," she said, and ran a seductive hand down her thigh to show exactly what she meant by that statement.

In that moment, Elienya decided that she liked her.

"I'm Elienya." Elienya held out her hand. The bronze-skinned girl sat up and shook it with her ever-present grin.

"Cesrik," she said.

"I'm Penolly, and that's Eryn," said the pretty brunette. Eryn curtsied, accidentally spilling the contents of her satchel on the floor. With a furious blush, she knelt and began gathering the contents into her arm while Penolly rolled her eyes.

"Are you Weyrbred?" asked Cesrik.

Elienya nodded. "I'm a drudge."

Penolly scowled. "A _drudge_? What's a drudge allowed in the candidate barracks? Are you here to clean?"

Elienya kept her face neutral as she said, "I _was_ a drudge before I was searched, Penolly."

Penolly gave her a strange look. "Oh. If you say so."

"Oh, you lucky dear!" Cesrik clasped Elienya's hands in both of hers and gazed up at her with beseeching eyes. "What was it like to grow up in the Weyr?"

Elienya crinkled her nose. "For me? Dirty."

For a moment, Cesrik's face went blank with confusion. When she noticed the slight curve of Elienya's lips, she burst out laughing, holding her ribs with the force of her amusement. "Dirty! _Hah_! Well, here's hoping my experience is dirtier in more ways than one." Winking, Cesrik rose and linked her elbow through Elienya's. "Shall we go?"

"We shall." The girls left the women's alcove with Penolly and Eryn walking behind them. The girls joined the flood of boys to the Weyrbowl, where C'zenen and brown Firoth waited. The brown lounged indolently on his stomach, but he regarded the candidates with curious green eyes.

"Well, it's about time," grumbled C'zenen. "For today's lesson, we'll go over basic draconic anatomy, because you're needed in the Infirmary. We have a few injured dragons and riders."

"What happened?" whispered Cesrik.

"Rebels," whispered Elienya.

Cesrik gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "No!"

"Yes."

"But how did the rebels—"

"As I was saying," said C'zenen loudly with a pointed look in their direction. "The pinions are – if you will, Firoth—" The brown obliged him by spreading his wings wide until the leathery sails caught the sun and brought out the veins of bronze, turning the wings nearly transluscent. "—are attached to the spine, and…" Once he finished his explanations, C'zenen led them towards the Infirmary.

Within, there were four dragons curled up on beds with their riders on cots nearby. The riders had bandages wrapped around their arms and legs, while the dragons had towels stretched across their necks, backs, and tails.

"These riders were ambushed by rebels," said C'zenen, and the candidates murmured nervously. "You'll need to help remove the bandages and replace them with numbweed. There will be four candidates for each dragon." As if they had the same thought, or perhaps it was the sheer virtue of being the only girls among the candidates, Elienya, Cesrik, Penolly, and Eryn moved towards the nearest dragon, a small blue with bandages on its neck and tail.

The bluerider hobbled towards them on a crutch, his left leg secured in a splint.

"Well, well, lucky us, Xirieth," said the bluerider. "We get all the pretty girls to ourselves."

 _I hurt,_ said Xirieth. _May I have more numbweed?_

"Of course, my sweet." The bluerider turned a friendly smile on them. "Who has the steadiest hands?" When all the girls raised their hands, the bluerider tossed back his head and laugh. "Well, don't all jump up at once."

 _I like the blonde one,_ said Xirieth, and Elienya blinked.

"Let's start with you," said the bluerider and pointed at Elienya. "It seems Xirieth's taken a shine to you." Unable to contain her smile, Elienya walked forward to help him, aware of the other girl's piercing eyes on her back. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin high. Even though she liked Cesrik, this was still a competition for the queen egg, and she'd just proven herself a contender.

"Now, use your index finger to roll back the bandage. You," said the bluerider and gestured at Cesrik, "go soak a rag in numbweed, if you please." Nodding, Cesrik hurried off, rubbing her hands eagerly together at her waist. While she did, Elienya gently inserted her finger into the bandage and rolled it back. When she did, her stomach roiled nauseously. The hide had been burned clean off, the flesh raw and red underneath.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Flamethrowers," said the bluerider.

Elienya couldn't contain her surprise. "The rebels have flamethrowers?"

"Yes, ma'am. They ambushed a caravan we were escorting from Ruatha Hold, and used their flamethrowers on poor Xirieth. As for me, I was a fool. My straps weren't set right, and I fell off Xirieth's neck. I damn near broke my back, and I'm lucky to be alive."

Elienya tried to hide her disdain, but it didn't go unnoticed by Xirieth.

 _My riders allowed to make mistakes,_ said the blue kindly. _He's not perfect._

 _He needs to be better if we're going to fight Thread,_ she thought.

Xirieth stirred, the tip of his tail twitching at the mention of his ancient nemesis.

Then, Cesrik returned with the rag, and Elienya gently laid the numbweed onto the open mound. Xirieth's neck muscles quivered than relaxed, and he huffed a great moan.

 _That feels splendid,_ said Xirieth. _Thank you, little blonde one._

"You're welcome," she said.

Cesrik's eyes shot towards her. "He spoke to you?" There was no hiding the naked envy in her voice.

The bluerider grinned. "The dragons can speak to whoever they want."

"Oh!" Cesrik's eyes widened in delight. She waved at Xirieth. "Hello, Xirieth!"

The blue snorted in amusement. _Hello, little bronze one._

Cesrik squealed and clapped her hands together. "He spoke to me! What a lovely voice you have," she crooned to the blue.

"You should scratch his eyeridge," said the bluerider with a laugh. "He loves that." Reaching up on her tiptoes, Cesrik scratched an eyeridge and Xirieth closed his eyes in delight with a soft sigh.

"Excuse me, but may we have a turn?" asked Penolly petulantly. Eryn stood behind her, almost hiding behind the plump girl, and wrung her hands together at her waist.

"Of course!" The bluerider gestured them forward. "Thanks for your time, girls."


	3. The Mating Flight

Elienya and Cesrik nodded and moved back. The girls took turns with the bandages, and by the time they finished their fingers were numb and their stomachs growled plaintively. Candidatemaster C'zenen released them for lunch, and when they reached the kitchens they found more candidates waiting for them. The Crafters and Holders had the same looks of awestruck children as the last batch, their eyes traveling around the cavern. Elienya noticed three more girls among their ranks, and studied them with narrow eyes. She had a decent feel for Cesrik and the others, but she'd have to assess the new girls.

After lunch, C'zenen showed them how to muck out the herdbeast pens, replace glow baskets, and help in the kitchens, all of which Elienya knew how to do. She took her time to survey the other girls, and felt more and more confident of her Impression of the young queen on the hatching sands.

When the candidates gathered to head back into the Weyr for dinner, a loud, brassy bugle broke out overhead, halting everyone in their tracks. Fear scattered the Holders and Crafters, but the Weyrbred tilted back their heads to find the source of the noise.

Benelith, the Junior Queen of Benden Weyr, sat with her wings flared on her ledge, her entire body glowing a brilliant gold. Candidatemaster C'zenen cursed and ushered the candidates back towards the Weyr.

"It's a flight," he shouted.

"What's a flight?" asked Cesrik.

"It's a mating flight," said Elienya, unable to take her eyes off the glistening queen. The regal beauty glided from her ledge to the herd of wherries, sinking her teeth into the tough skin with a fervent hunger. She blooded the beast, tossed its body aside with a hiss, and tore into the second.

"A mating flight?" Cesrik sighed in delight. "Oh, how wonderful!"

"It's…interesting," said Elienya.

"How so?"

"Well, the…amorous tendencies of the dragons tend to—" As if to punctuate her words, a wave of lust rolled through Elienya, starting at the tips of her toes and vibrating through her entire body. She felt it in her chest, in her gut, even the space between her thighs.

Cesrik gasped and clutched her arms around her chest. "Oh. _Oh_!"

"Now, candidates, you may experience lustful urges," said Candidatemaster C'zenen as he hurried them to the candidate alcoves. "It's a very normal reaction, but I do _not_ want you to act on it. We have more than a few accidental pregnancies result from mating flights, especially among Holders and Crafters who don't know any better." Nervous, uncomfortable laughs echoed through the candidates.

"For now, stay in your rooms, and I'll let you know when it's alright to leave." After he'd cloistered the girls in their alcove, he darted out to ensure the boys had withdrawn into theirs. Pennoly paced the length of the alcove with quick, agitated steps, a scowl on her face, but Eryn threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

A mischevious grin lifted Cesrik's lips. "So," she said slyly, "what's it like?"

"What do you mean?" asked Elienya.

"What's it like to be with someone during a mating flight? I bet it's life changing."

"I wouldn't know."

Cesrik looked genuinely perplexed. "A virgin Weyrbrat?"

Elienya couldn't help but laugh at her dumbfounded expression. "Yes. We have more freedom with our bodies, but that doesn't mean we're required to use it."

"Huh. I hadn't thought about it like that before. Well…" She smoothed down her dress and pinched some color into her cheeks before twirling her dark hair around her fingers to give it extra curl. " _I_ for one plan to take full advantage of this opportunity and enjoy myself." She turned and marched towards the door.

"Cesrik, wait," said Elienya. "You'll be—" But Cesrik had already slipped out of the alcove and down the hall. Sighing, Elienya shook her head, but a ghost of a smile graced her lips. When a soft sniffle reached her, she went and sat down on the edge of Eryn's bed. After a moment of hesitation, she rubbed the other girl's back.

"It's alright, Eryn," she said. "It's perfectly natural to feel aroused during a mating flight. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Says the drudge," muttered Pennoly under her breath.

"I heard that, Pennoy," said Elienya, and Pennoly flushed.

"I-I'm not ashamed," said Eryn through her tears. "I-I-I'm…I'm frightened. I've n-never felt like this b-b-before." If lust scared the girl, Elienya doubted she'd make a good dragonrider, but she kept the thought to herself. Eryn gripped the pillow in both hands and cried harder, her brown hair spilling across the white sheets. Elienya ran her fingers through her hair, the way her foster mother used to do to her before she'd died. It always used to calm her down.

"It's alright," she said. "It'll be alright." Within a few minutes, Eryn had stopped crying, and Elienya's gentle strokes had lulled her to sleep. Her soft snores filled the room, while Pennoly fidgeted and Elienya closed her eyes. Wave after wave of mind numbing lust caused her body to quake, and sweat broke out on her forehead and back. The middle of her thighs had become wet, and she had to relieve herself multiple times in the lavatory.

By the time an hour had passed, a strangle rumbling began to vibrate through the cavern. Elienya cocked her head to the side with a frown. Were the dragons humming? Excitement sliced through her state of arousal. The hatching! A moment later, her hopes were dashed as a wail pierced the air.

Pennoly and Elienya shared a wide-eyed stare as Eryn bolted upright in bed, drool sliding down her chin. Elienya darted to her feet and ran for the entrance to the alcove. At the same time, Cesrik stumbled from one of the boy's alcoves down the hall, her dress disheveled and her hair in a tangled mess.

"What is it?" she asked, her cheeks rosy from exertion. "What's happening?"

"I don't—"

"Rebels!" The scream echoed through the tunnel, and a deathly silence fell. "The rebels are in the Weyrbowl!"


	4. The Rebels

Elienya's heart leapt into her throat with fright. Eyes darting wildly through the tunnel, she spotted an indent in the rock that formed a perfect door, and ran towards it.

"Help me open this!" she shouted. Three burly boys darted forward and shoved their shoulders into the rock. It pushed inward with a grown and a hiss of trapped air, dust blowing across their faces and making them cough. Once it had been slid open, Elienya stood aside and allowed the candidates to stream into the room. Although she hadn't expected Eryn to obey quite so literally, she stayed glued to Elienya's side, a quiet shadow in the pale darkness. Cesrik and Pennoly were the last two girls to pass into the tunnel, and behind them, Elienya saw rebels racing towards them.

The men – at least, Elienya assumed they were men – wore ragged tunics and breeches patched with holes, and black masks obscured their faces from view. Shuddering, Elienya swept Cesrik and Pennoly into the cavern and followed them inside.

"Close the door!" she shouted. The boys leapt forward and slid the rock back into place, bracing themselves against it from the other side. There was a loud thump, followed by a muttered curse and the scuffle of boots on stone. Cesrik grabbed Elienya's hand and squeezed it so tightly her knuckles ground together. Eryn whimpered, and Pennoly hissed, "Be quiet." Reaching out, Elienya put an arm around Eryn and tucked her against her side. The other girl clutched the front of her dress and clung to her for dear life.

The entire group of candidates held their breath while the rebels threw themselves at the door again and again, their _bangs_ and _thuds_ filling the too quiet space around them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity but probably passed in a few seconds, the sound of the rebel's footsteps faded away into silence.

No one moved for a few more minutes to make sure the rebels had left.

Sighing, Elienya slumped against Eryn, and Cesrik released a nearly hysterical laugh.

"Wow," she said. "And I thought this day couldn't get any more exciting."

With a snort, Elienya untangled Eryn from the front of her dress, who continued to shake with wide, frightened eyes, and peered around the cavern. The other candidates were huddled to one side, giving her a full view of the room. There were bookcases lining the walls, with reading tables and chairs tucked throughout. The bookcases were filled with old tomes and parchment.

"What is this place?" asked Cesrik.

"I don't know," Elienya admitted. "I've never been here before."

"What?" Cesrik smacked a hand to her forehead. "I thought you knew the lower caverns! You're a Weyrbrat, _and_ a drudge!"

"I do, but the rebels were closing in so I went for the first door I could find."

"Ah, I see. Well, that makes sense."

Elienya took a glow basket from one of the boys and walked over to the bookcase, running her fingers along the tomes. There were a lot of titles about the history of Pern, the Holds, and the Weyrs – which would be useful, she would show them to Headwoman Veteny later – along with maps, but it was the last shelf on the case that caught and held her attention. There was a cluster of parchments tightly bound together with twine, and a note attached that said, _Read me._ The handwriting looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't quite place.

When she unrolled the parchment and found a map of the constellations of Pern, a handwritten note said, _Follow the stars,_ and she understood why the handwriting looked familiar. It had been written in her own hand. A sense of déjà vu washed over Elienya, as if she'd stood in this room before and seen the same parchment, except that was impossible. She hadn't even known this room existed until a few minutes ago. She shook the sensation away and placed a hand to her forehead. She must have been mistaken. Or she and another person from the past had very similar handwriting.

Slowly, carefully, so she wouldn't ruin the aged parchment, Elienya studied the rest of the papers.

"What's that?" asked Pennoly. Elienya jumped. She hadn't realized the other girl had followed her, but Pennoly and Cesrik hovered at her elbow, peering curiously at the parchment.

"I'm not sure. It looks like…" Elienya sucked in a sharp breath. No, it _couldn't_ be. Could it? The first piece of parchment showed two ovals, along with lines looping along the page. It almost looked like a flight trajectory. There were dates scrawled along the side where the two planets intersected or came together. Heart pounding with excitement, Elienya realized the map showed the orbit of Pern and the Red Star, and showed when Thread had fallen in previous centuries.

She eagerly handed the parchment to Cesrik and studied the others. The next took her breath away. It had a very detailed, organized listing of how and when thread fell, a chart showing the apparent dates and times of the dragonrider's encounter with the ancient menace of Thread.

Proof. She had solid, tangible proof that Thread existed.

"We need to find Weyrleader V'neron."

After an hour had passed without a sound outside the cavern, the boys tentatively pushed the door aside. It slid aside with a loud, grating squeal, and everyone froze. When no rebels darted from the shadows or appeared down the hall, the candidates slowly trickled from the room that had been their safe haven. Elienya and Cesrik hurried ahead, the precious parchments cradled in their arms. Pennoly and Eryn each held a glow basket to light their way, although Eryn's shook ever so slightly as she walked.

Most of the Weyr was empty, but Elienya followed the sound of draconic voices into the Weyrbowl. She stepped foot into the blinding sunlight and froze, her excitement withering at the sight before her. There were bodies strewn across the grass, their blood turning the green stalks a horrible shade of crimson. The metallic scent coated the air and made her want to gag, and the high, keening wail of dragons mourning the lost made her heart hurt. Herth trumpeted challenge after challenge from the Hatching Cavern where she guarded her eggs, her roar drowning out the weyrfolk and dragonriders below.

"There you are!" Candidatemaster C'zenen stormed towards them. Despite the scowl on his face, a hint of color returned to his pale face at the sight of them. "Where in the name of Faranth's egg were you?"

"We hid in the lower caverns, sir," said Cesrik.

"Oh." Candidatemaster C'zenen blinked. "Actually, that's rather brilliant. Good job."

Cesrik smirked. "Thank you, sir."

Elienya scanned the crowd until she found the face she wanted to see. Snagging Cesrik by the sleeve, she hurried towards the Weyrleader, who stood in a tight circle with the Weyrwoman and his wingleaders.

"…don't know how they got past the watch dragon," said one of the bronzeriders.

"Unless the beast was asleep," snapped another.

"It doesn't matter _how_ they got in," said Weyrwoman Clara with a sharp look. "The fact of the matter is they did, and we need to deal with the consequences. We must bury our dead, and ensure it doesn't happen again."

"Pardon me, Weyrleader V'neron, I must speak with you," said Elienya. The dragonriders turned to her with identical blank faces, stunned a lowly candidate would be bold enough to address their Weyrleader directly.

Weyrleader V'neron grunted and waved her away without a glance in her direction. "I'm busy. Help the Headwoman clean up this mess."

"It's very important, sir," said Elienya more firmly. "It has to do with Thread—"

"Thread?" Weyrleader V'neron whirled on Elienya with such menace she gasped and took a step back. Cesrik tilted her chin in haughty defiance and glared at Weyrleader V'neron, a sturdy presence at Elienya's side. "Did you interrupt my council with silly talk of _Thread_? You must be deranged, girl."

"I'm not." Elienya held up the parchment. "If you just look, I know you'll—"

"I don't have time for this," thundered Weyrleader V'neron. "We were just attacked by rebels, and you want me to chase an old wive's tale. Get out of my sight, girl, before I have you punished."

Elienya clenched her jaw. "But, sir—"

"My apologies, Weyrleader V'neron." Candidatemaster C'zenen grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her away from the bronzerider. Elienya stumbled and nearly dropped her precious cargo, clutching the papers more firmly to her chest. "I'll handle her." Before Elienya could protest, Candidatemaster C'zenen bodily dragged her away from the Weyrleader, who watched her leave with a scowl.

Frustration pricked Elienya's nerves. "Please, sir," she cried out, struggling against Candidatemaster C'zenen, "it's important!"

"Be quiet," said the Candidatemaster. "You're lucky the Weyrleader didn't throw you back into the lower caverns!"

"If you look at the—"

"You're on extra duty in the stables, girl," said the Candidatemaster. "If you say one more sharding word, girl, you'll be on latrine duty until the day of the hatching." Elienya ground her teeth together and glared at the back of C'zenen's head. Why didn't anyone believe her? Why wouldn't anyone look at the hard proof she'd stumbled upon, showing Thread's existence?

She reached out to bronze Kyoth, the Weyrleader's dragon. _Please, Kyoth, you must speak with him!_

The bronze reacted with a touch of surprise. _Who are you?_

 _It doesn't matter. The Red Star draws nearer and nearer! Thread_ will _fall!_

Kyoth remained quiet for so long she feared the bronze had ignored her, but then she heard a faint, _I will try._ Elienya could've sagged with relief. At least the dragons were on her side. Once they'd walked inside the Weyr, Candidatemaster C'zenen practically threw her into the women's candidate alcove.

"Stay here until dinner," he said, "while I deal with the chaos in the bowl." Grumbling under his breath around wherry brained girls, he turned and strode off.

Cesrik watched him leave with a sniff. "He's not very fun, is he?"

Elienya shook her head and took her time spreading the parchments out on their writing desk. "No, but he'll come around eventually." While she took the records from Cesrik, Pennoly and Eryn appeared in the doorway, one expression stony, the other relieved.

"There were five casualties," said Eryn in a quiet voice, "and twelve wounded."

Elienya paused at that. "Five casualties?"

"Yes. All dragonriders."

Elienya shook her head. "I can't believe it."

"It's unthinkable," agreed Cesrik. "Why do the rebels hate dragonriders so much?"

"Probably because they're obsolete," said Pennoly. She hunched her shoulders defensively when Cesrik and Elienya glared at her. "What? It's true. The dragons are a drain on resources for Crafts and Holds alike. What purpose do they serve?"

"They exist," said Elienya with steely confidence, "to fight Thread."

Pennoly gave her an incredulous look. "You cannot be serious."

Even Cesrik looked dubious. "Do you really think Thread will fall, Elienya?"

Elienya balled her hands into fists. "Yes. We have proof right here!" She swept a hand over the records and explained to the girls about the orbit of the Red Star and the records of previous Threadfalls. It had been laid before her like a gift, but the Weyrleader had spat in her face when she'd tried to present it to him.

She'd have to find a way to prepare Pern on her own. And it started with the hatching. She _had_ to Impress the queen dragonet if she had a chance at making a real difference.

Cesrik considered the records and made a small noise in the back of her throat, tapping one plump lip with her finger.

"I don't know," said Eryn. She fiddled with her dress. "Why should dragons have to fight? It sounds dangerous."

"Of course, it is," said Elienya. "But we'd be lost without them." She turned to Cesrik. "Cesrik?" For some reason, she valued the other girl's opinion – she didn't care if everyone else ridiculed her, she wanted Cesrik to believe her.

Cesrik gave her a long, considering look. "Alright."

Elienya blinked. "Alright?"

"Alright, I believe you."

Elienya gaped. She hadn't expected it to be that easy. She'd prepared a list of viable arguments in defense of Thread. "Truly?"

"Yes," said Cesrik with a laugh, "you silly girl. I said it, didn't I? The dragons were created for a purpose – why not fighting an airborne danger? It makes sense. Besides, it's hard to ignore what's right in front of our eyes." She jabbed a finger at the records.

"Well, _I_ think you're all crazy," said Pennoly.

"No one asked you," said Elienya.

Pennoly pouted. "You asked Cesrik!"

"Is your name Cesrik?"

"No."

"Then, no one asked you."

Huffing, Pennoly folded her arns over her chest, stalked to her bed, and heaved herself onto it. Sharing a laughing look, Elienya and Cesrik sat down and began to transcribe the records onto other pieces of parchment. After a few minutes had passed, Eryn sat up and began to help, humming under her breath as she worked. The girls broke to eat dinner, went back to their room, and continued scribing through the night.


	5. The Clutch

The following morning, Elienya woke at dawn. She wished she could sleep in, but her body was used to rising before the rest of the Weyr to complete her chores. Without anything else to do, she bathed, brushed out her long hair, and continued transcribing the records. The things she learned were fascinating. Thread only ate organic life matter, which meant it was harmless to water and rocks. Apparently, there was a species of grub in both the Istan Desert and the Southern Continent which could eat Thread. And firelizards had been known to eat firestone and flame Thread from the sky, too!

Once the other girls woke, Elienya and Cesrik walked to the kitchens and ate a breakfast of warm porridge, _klah_ , and fruit. After that, they went into the Weyrbowl, where Candidatemaster C'zenen handed out the chore list. Elienya and Cesrik had been requested in the Infirmary again, for their deft hands, while Pennoly and Eryn were sent to the stables.

A tall woman with bright red hair and kind blue eyes waited for them in the Infirmary. There were double the occupants as had been in the previous day, due to the rebel attack, and almost all of the cots in the room were taken, the rock couches cluttered with sleeping dragons.

"Are you Elienya?" asked the woman. Cesrik pouted, clearly put out by the lack of recognition on her part.

"Yes, miss—?"

"I'm Masterhealer Jesslyn," said the woman. "I've heard good things about you from V'ten." When Elienya stared at her blankly, the woman chuckled, a soft, reserved sound, and said, "Rider of blue Xirieth."

Her eyes brightened. "Oh!"

"You candidates are all the same," she said, though not unkindly. "You remember the dragon, but never the rider."

Elienya gave a wry smile. "My apologies."

"It's alright. I was hoping you and your friend—"

"Cesrik," said Cesrik quite pointedly, and Jesslyn nodded.

"—Cesrik would help me with those wounded in yesterday's attack." Nodding, Elienya moved forward and did as she was instructed. She helped change bandages, the same way she had for Xirieth previously, and watched Masterhealer Jesslyn stitch a particularly nasty wound shut. After that, she helped clean and change the riders who were unable to do so themselves, and helped bathe the dragons. By the time she finished, her fingers were wrinkled and her arms ached, but she felt content in the way one feels after a day of hard labor.

Masterhealer Jesslyn smiled. "Thank you for your help today, girls." She stopped Elienya as she started to leave by placing a hand on her arm. "Might I have a word?" Elienya waited for Cesrik to walk into the hallway and turned. "You have a natural gift for dragon healing," said Jesslyn. "The dragons trust you, and it's easier to treat them when they do. I think you would make a splendid Weyrhealer. You should consider it if you don't Impress."

 _If I don't Impress._ The thought had never occurred to her before. She knew in her bones she would Impress, and there had never been an alternative for her. She would Impress the queen, gain respect amongst the Weyr, warn the dragonriders and fight Thread when it fell.

"I'll consider it," she said, not wanting to seem rude.

"Good." Jesslyn patted her arm. "I hope that you do. I look forward to working with you in the future, child."

"Thank you. You as well." Thus dismissed, Elienya walked with Cesrik to the kitchen for lunch.

"What did she have to say?" asked Cesrik with barely concealed jealousy. "Probably showering you with compliments and gifts?"

Elienya arched a brow. "We can't all be perfect," she said.

Cesrik's eyes narrowed, but then she saw the hint of mirth in Elienya's gaze and laughed. "I think I'm starting to get a feel for your sense of humor. It's rather dry."

"It is."

"She said I have a knack for healing," said Elienya, "and she wanted me to consider it if I don't Impress."

"Mmmh." Cesrik gazed wistfully towards the Weyrbowl, at the cave mouths where the dragons lay. "I think you'd make a good healer."

"I'd make an even better queenrider," she said staunchly.

Cesrik laughed. "Someone's cocky."

"Confident," corrected Elienya.

"Well, you're not the only one with her eye on the queen, lovely." Cesrik winked. "Who knows? Maybe you'll be healing me and my queen one day."

Elienya rolled her eyes. "Or you'll be scrubbing out my queen's Weyr." She tilted her head to the side as Cesrik snorted and smacked her in the arm. The girls laughed and gossiped about the other candidates while they walked.

In the kitchen, C'zenen stood while the other candidates ate. His eyes raked over them sternly, his arms folded behind his back. "Ah, good, everyone's here. Now, for today, we have a very special treat for you. You're going to view the clutch." Excited gasps and murmurs flowed through the room. Elienya lost her balance and stumbled, falling into Cesrik.

Cesrik giggled and steadied her. "Did the thought of eggs literally sweep you off your feet?" she asked.

"Yes," said Elienya. "They most certainly did."

Needless to say, the candidates devoured the rest of their lunch in record time and followed C'zenen from the room. He led them across the Weyrbowl to an enormous, dome shaped cavern. Heat radiated from the entrance like a furnace, and sweat broke out on Elienya's forehead and upper lip. She wiped it away with her sleeve, grateful for her thick wherhide boots. She'd need them to stand on the sands. The candidates walked into the hatching cavern, hopping from foot to foot in the traditional hatching dance, under the watchful eye of Herth. The enormous golden dragon curled possessively around her eggs, tail flicking back and forth in agitation.

"Now, make you respects to the queen, and then you can move among the eggs," said C'zenen. "You can touch them, but don't lean on them." He bowed to Herth. The dragon snorted, her mistrustful eyes never leaving the candidates as each one bowed and walked among the eggs.

As Elienya bowed before the queen, she reached out with her thoughts. _Thank you for letting me view your clutch._

Herth blinked, the lids lowering and rising slowly. _You're welcome,_ she said, sounding pleased. _They're rather magnificent, aren't they?_

 _Yes,_ Elienya thought with a smile. _They are._

"What are you smiling about?" whispered Cesrik.

"Nothing."

"I bet I know!" Grabbing Elienya's hand, Cesrik pranced over to the queen egg, held slightly apart from the rest on a hill of sand. Herth's wings fluttered anxiously as the female candidates gathered around her golden daughter's shell. Pennoly and Eryn nodded greetings to Cesrik and Elienya, but no one had moved forward as if scared of the golden mother's wrath.

Boldly, Elienya stepped forward and pressed both hands to the shell of the egg. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, like aged leather. Her breath caught. She swore she felt a nudge against her palm, as if the dragon sensed her. She reached out with her thoughts, but she sensed nothing but curiosity from within the egg. It would be close to hatching. Very close to hatching.

 _Be very careful,_ warned Herth. _You do not want to confuse the queen._

Elienya frowned up at her. _What do you mean_?

The queen huffed. _I'm asking you to keep your thoughts to yourself._

Contrite, Elienya withdrew her mental connection from the egg.

Cesrik stepped up beside her and stroked a loving finger down the egg, her face a mask of awe. "It's beautiful," she breathed. Elienya nodded. It had a pale, golden sheen to the egg, with mottles of darker gold scattered across. The girls stood side by side and admired the egg of the queen, oblivious to everything else around them.

"Excuse me, but it's our turn," said Pennoly.

Cesrik rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, your highness, right this way." She bowed out of the way. Elienya laughed under her breath as Cesrik moved out of the way and Pennoly stepped up to take her place, scowling. Although Cesrik started to move towards the other eggs, Elienya stayed where she was, her eyes glued to the queen egg.

"Elienya?"

"Mmmh?"

"Aren't you coming?"

"No."

"Why not? There are bound to be a lot of greens in the clutch. You could still Impress."

"I'm going to Impress the queen," said Elienya.

Cesrik's face fell. "Why do you want to Impress the queen so badly?"

Elienya fought to put it into her words. She'd known from a young age she was born to be more than a drudge in the lower caverns, but she'd never understood why. It wasn't until she'd viewed her first hatching at the age of seven that she'd understood. She was meant to be a dragonrider. It had touched her heart, her mind, and her soul in a way she'd never experienced before. She'd run to the records room and devoured every parchment she could on dragonlore and mythology, which was how she stumbled upon the legend of Thread. It had solidified her belief she was meant for more, and steered her towards her goal of fighting Thread.

"I want to be more than I am," said Elienya.

"You're more than a drudge, Elienya," said Cesrik kindly. "You don't need a queen dragon to prove that."

"Yes, I do." Elienya shook her head. "But it's more than that. Thread _will_ fall, but no one else sees it. I have to prepare them."

Cesrik whistled. "That's a lot of responsibility for one person."

"I don't mind."

Cesrik smiled. "What if I offered to help?"

Elienya smiled back. "I'd like that. Why do you want to Impress the queen?" she asked.

"I want to be in a mating flight," said Cesrik.

Elienya burst out laughing. "You did not just say that!"

"Oh, yes, I did." Cesrik waggled her eyebrows. "If I was just a spectator for that…" She sighed. "I want to see what it's like. Plus, you have your pick of hunky bronzeriders to choose from."

Elienya shook her head. "Incredible. What will you do if you don't Impress?"

Cesrik stared at her blankly. "Did you really just ask me that?"

"Yes."

"I'm staying in the Weyr, obviously! There are _a ton_ of handsome men, and if every mating flight's like the last one…" She whistled and waved a hand across her face, her eyes distant with remembered pleasures. "It would be a dream come true."

Elienya laughed. "You're incorrigible!"

Cesrik shrugged, linking their arms together. "I know what I want."

Elienya smiled. "Yes. Yes, you do." And she admired that about the other girl. Elienya had never had friends before because of her gift. She mostly kept to herself in the Weyr and lower caverns to avoid bullies and taunters, but there was something about Cesrik that drew her out of her shell, like a sun coaxing a flower to bloom. It felt good, and Elienya was glad she'd been chosen on Search.

 _She'd make a splendid greenrider,_ she added a tad pettily.

"I want to apprentice at the Healer Hall," said Pennoly, startling them. Elienya bit back a laugh. She couldn't imagine the sharp-tongued girl as a healer.

"I want to get married and start a family," added Eryn with a shy smile.

Cesrik feigned a yawn, hiding her mouth with one hand. "Boring."

"At least I don't live for sex," snapped Pennoly.

Cesrik gave her a wicked grin. "Are you a virgin, Pennoly?"

Pennoly blushed straight up to her hairline. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, but what happens if you Impress a green? I hear they're very amorous. Shouldn't you gain a little experience before the big event?"

Pennoly's cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red. "Be quiet."

"If you'd like, I can give you a few pointers," she said, and blew a kiss at her. Pennoly crossed her arms over her chest and turned away. Unable to help herself, Elienya laughed, shrugging apologetically when Pennoly glared at her.

Eryn twirled a strand of hair around her finger and bit down on her lower lip. "Do you…do the green dragons truly rise a lot?"

The girls all looked to Elienya. "Yes. At least, more than the queens," she said. "The queens rise once every turn and a half, usually, but the greens rise more than that."

The color drained from Eryn's cheeks. "Oh."

"Do you want to Impress a green dragon?" asked Cesrik in confusion.

Eryn smiled bashfully. "Yes."

"But…they're fighting dragons," said Elienya. "Why do you want to fight?"

Eryn's eyes widened. "What am I fighting?"

"Thread."

"Oh, not that again," said Pennoly with a groan. "Thread hasn't fallen in five hundred years. It will never fall again."

"I have to fight Thread?" squeaked Eryn. "Never mind, I don't want to Impress a dragon."

"What about the queen?" asked Cesrik, looking thoroughly puzzled.

"I wouldn't like all the attention," whispered Eryn. "And I don't want to lead anyone."

Elienya appraised Eryn with fresh eyes. She may be timid, and shy, but she wasn't stupid. She had a thorough introspection of who she was and what she was capable of. It gave her merit in Elienya's mind.

"You won't have to fight Thread," said Pennoly. "You can have your green, Eryn." She frowned at Elienya. "Leave her alone." The comment surprised Elienya. As far as she could tell, despite being from the same Hold, Pennoly and Eryn didn't seem like friends. Yet Pennoly was quick to defend her. Perhaps they were closer than it appeared.

"I'm sorry," said Elienya. "I'm sure you'd make a lovely greenrider, Eryn."

Eryn smiled. "Thank you."

"Alright, candidates." Candidatemaster C'zenen clapped his hands to regain their attention. "It's time for afternoon chores."


	6. The Hatching

At night, Elienya dreamed of flying the skies of Pern on the back of a beautiful gold dragon. She and her queen flew over the tropical jungles of the Southern Continent, where firelizards played with the waves and dolphins swam through the crescent shaped coves. The rippling waves of the sea created a mirror of the moon and stars overhead, until Elienya couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

She drifted along, happy and at peace, until she noticed a shift in the scenery. Curious, she directed her queen dragon towards the copse of space, and made a startled sound. There were acres of herdbeasts penned outside the reaches of the Southern Weyr, out in the middle of nowhere.

 _What a strange dream,_ she thought. _Why would herdbeasts be in the middle of the jungle_?

A shock ran through her and she tumbled off the dragon's back. She screamed as she fell to the roiling sea below.

Elienya jolted upright with a gasp, her heart pounding against her ribs. Sweat stuck her blonde hair to her forehead and neck, and her chest heaved in great gulps of air. Her hands trembled as she pushed off her sheets and fell back onto the pillow, one arm splayed to the side. She'd never been afraid of heights, but the sensation of falling had terrified her in the dream.

Then, she realized what had awoken her. A steady thrumming filled the candidate alcove, vibrating through her body and making her muscles clenched. Eyes wide in the gloom, she reached out with her thoughts, groping for the nearest dragon. When she did, excitement burst through her.

Breath whistling through her teeth, Elienya leapt out of bed and raced for the glow baskets.

"Wake up!" she cried. "Wake up, it's the hatching!"

Cesrik jerked up with a mumbled shout, rubbing at her bleary eyes, but Pennoly moaned and rolled over, stuffing the pillow over her head. Eryn continued to snore peacefully, oblivious to the miracle about to happen.

"Go away," was her muffled response.

Hands on her hips, Elienya marched over, grabbed Pennoly's pillow, and yanked it off her head.

Pennoly sat up with a scowl. "What are you doing?"

"It's the hatching, wherry brain," she said, but even Pennoly's temper couldn't keep a grin from her face.

Pennoly blinked and gasped. "Oh!" Throwing off her covers, the Hold girl raced for the white candidates robe hanging from its peg. While she did, Elienya sat by Eryn and shook her shoulders gently to wake her. Then, the girls changed into their robes and marched out into the tunnel. A few of the other candidates had heard the telltale humming of the larger dragons, but other slept on.

Candidatemaster C'zenen appeared with a glow basket in his hand and an exultant grin on his face. "I see some of you heard the humming. Let's wake up the rest of your cohorts." Elienya helped rouse the rest of the girls in the candidates, while Cesrik walked straight into one of the boy's alcoves, which awarded her a startled shout and _thud_ of a body hitting the floor. Eryn stayed off to the side, leaning against the wall and yawning, her eyelids drooping as if prepared to fall asleep again.

Once everyone had been assembled in their white robes, Candidatemaster C'zenen marched them across the Weyrbowl and into the Hatching Cavern. Although it was the middle of the night, the entire Weyr had turned out for the event, filling up the tiered seating above the sands. Dragons flickered in and out of _between_ at the top of the cavern, depositing riders before flying to their ledges.

Herth swayed over her eggs, eyes half lidded as she sang them a happy welcome. Kyoth lounged nearby on a ledge, chest puffed out with pride.

"The boys to one side, girls to the other," said C'zenen. "Quickly now. It'll happen at any moment." Cesrik and Elienya hurried towards the queen egg, and Herth moved aside, although there was a tinge of orange in her eyes. The other boys arrayed themselves in a lose semi-circle around the eggs, while the girls formed rank around the queen egg.

The humming grew until it was nearly deafening, and Elienya clapped a hand over her ears. The murmur of conversation fell to a hush as the eggs began to rock, tentatively at first then with more vigor. Cracks appeared, and the humming ceased abruptly, leaving Elienya's ears ringing. Then, one of the shells split apart in the middle, spilling a wet bronze body onto the sands. It fell in a heap with a piteous cry, sand clinging to its little frame.

"A bronze first is a good sign," said Elienya with a smile. Cesrik hardly noticed, her eyes riveted to the queen egg, which had begun to tremble and quake. The girls fidgeted around them, some with eager excitement, others with fearful dread. Eryn stood slightly apart from the rest, her attention focused on the other eggs in the clutch. Small pieces of the queen's egg flaked away, falling to the sand in a shower of golden shards. It gave a twitch, toppled onto its side, and cracked wide open.

The sleek golden dragonet emerged, stumbling and squawking. The other girls backed away as it flailed, claws slashing through the air, but Elienya and Cesrik moved forward together. Herth crooned and nudged her daughter with her maw towards the waiting girls, encouraging her to take her pick. Elienya grinned at the little beauty, her heart soaring. This was it. The moment of Impression. The moment she became more than a lowly drudge and Weyrbrat.

Chirping plaintively, the queenling waddled forward on unsteady legs, swaying like a drunken dancer. Her head swiveled between the candidates, searching, searching, searching, until Elienya stepped into her path. The rainbow of Impression lit up her whirling eyes. Creeling in delight, the little queen stumbled forward, and Elienya's grin stretched wider than it ever had. She held out her arms, but the queen jerked back with a huff and gazed up at her, head cocked to the side. Snorting, the queen stepped to the side, but Elienya mirrored her movements with a confused frown. What was the queen doing? The queen stepped in the other direction, and Elienya followed, taking another step forward.

Then, with a roar of fury, the queen raked at Elienya with her claws, sending her sprawling to the sand. Pain ignited along Elienya's side, starting at her hip and burning up to her right shoulder.

"Oh, shards, oh, by Faranth's Egg—We need a healer!" shouted Cesrik and knelt at her side, eyes awash with worry. "Oh, by the Egg, Elienya! Elienya, she didn't mean it, Zareth didn't mean it. Oh, there's so much blood…" With quick efficiency, Cesrik took off her candidates robes, utterly uncaring the entire Weyr saw her in her undergarments, and used it to staunch the flow of blood. Elienya hissed with pain as the cotton contacted her ripped flesh.

 _Yes, I did,_ said a small, imperious voice. _She wouldn't get out of my way, and I needed you._ Elienya rolled onto her back in a daze, unable to believe what had just happened. Her mind rang as she tried to process it, blood sullying the front of her candidate robes.

"Be nice, Zareth!" admonished Cesrik. "Are you in pain? What can I do to help? Did anyone _hear me_?" Cesrik screamed. " _We need a healer!_ " A pair of healers rushed forward with a stretcher, while a drudge shuffled forward with a bowl of meat. Cesrik seemed torn between worry for her friend and utter adoration for Zareth, who gobbled down the food with hardly a breath in between.

Elienya stared at the little queen in shock. Cesrik had Impressed the queen. She'd Impressed _her_ queen. Those thoughts ran through her brain over and over as the healers moved her onto the stretcher and carried her out of the Hatching Sands, leaving Cesrik and Zareth behind.

In the Infirmary, Masterhealer Jesslyn gasped at the sight of her. "Oh, Elienya." She passed a cup of fellis juice into Elienya's hands and forced her to drink, but Elienya was hardly aware of what she was doing. _I didn't Impress._ No, that was impossible. _I didn't Impress._ She was born to be a dragonrider. She was born to ride a queen dragon. _I didn't Impress._ The fellis juice began to take effect, numbing the agonizing pain to a manageable ache in her side. While it worked at dampening the pain, Jesslyn cleaned the wound, rubbed numbweed into it, and began to stitch it together. There were three talon marks raked from her hip to her shoulder, cutting clear across her ribcage. It had cut nearly to the bone.

"What happened?" asked Jesslyn.

"Cesrik Impressed Zareth," murmured Elienya. It still wouldn't make sense to her. _I didn't Impress. Cesrik Impressed the queen._ Tears formed in the corners of Elienya's eyes. _I failed._ The final thought stuck out in her mind like a splinter, wedging deep and refusing to let go. Whimpering, she lifted a hand to cover her face, her lower lip trembling. _I failed._

"I see. I'm sorry, child." Jesslyn said nothing as Elienya cried, and they were the anguished cries of a girl whose spirit had been broken.

Although Jesslyn wouldn't allow Elienya to attend the Hatching Feast, Cesrik brought the Hatching Feast to her. She didn't feel like celebrating, but she forced herself to smile and greet Cesrik as if nothing at all had happened. The saying went one could never account for dragon taste, and it was true. The frightened, timid Eryn had Impressed green Cirth, and the short tempered Pennoly had Impressed green Lopith. It stung sharper than her stitches to realize she alone had not Impressed.

"What do you like to eat?" asked Cesrik with forced lightness. "I have meatbuns, and tubers, and wherry meat, and—"

"You don't have to do this," said Elienya quietly. "You should go be with Zareth. It's a lovely name, by the way."

Cesrik's lips thinned. "The pushy brute's asleep, and I'm told she'll sleep for a while. Besides…" She brushed Elienya's hair off her forehead with a tentative smile. "I wanted to see you. I wanted to ask…" She bit down on her lower lip, drew in a deep breath, and said in a rush, "Are we still friends?"

Elienya blinked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"On the Sands, the way you moved for Zareth – I thought it was you, but then I heard her voice in my head – the way you looked…" Cesrik's eyes became misty with tears. "You looked at me like I was the worst person in the entire world, Elienya. It was like I'd stolen everything from you. But you'll have another chance! There was just a mating flight. Maybe your dragon's in the next clutch!"

Elienya squeezed her eyes shut against a fresh wave of tears. She _did_ feel like Cesrik had stolen everything from her, but that wasn't fair. Cesrik had Impressed Zareth. It had happened, and it wasn't her fault. She should be glad for her friend, not angry and bitter. Elienya opened her eyes and forced herself to smile as she took Cesrik's hand in hers.

"We're still friends," she murmured. "If you want to be friends with a silly drudge now that you're a Junior Weyrwoman."

Cesrik's eyes brightened. "How would you like to be the Junior Weyrwoman's _personal_ drudge?"

It forced a laugh out of Elienya, but she winced as her stitches stung. "I'd have to clean up after all of your suitors," said Elienya with a giggle.

Cesrik laughed, looking immensely relieved.

"Or," said Masterhealer Jesslyn with a knowing smile, "you could be the Junior Weyrwoman's personal healer. Did you consider my offer, Elienya?"

Elienya closed her eyes against the bitter regret and disappointment raging through her. She didn't want to be a drudge anymore. Now that she'd had a taste of what it felt like to be a candidate, she couldn't go back. She didn't want to go back.

"Yes," she whispered. "If you'll have me, I'd like to become your apprentice."

"It's done. Welcome to the Healer Hall, Elienya."


	7. The Weyr Council

_Three months later…_

Elienya sat at a table in the Junior Weyrwoman's Weyr and oiled a leather riding harness. Normally, Healer apprentices weren't allowed in the queen's expansive quarters, but as Cesrik's best friend, Elienya had been given special permission. Everything had changed since she'd apprenticed herself to Masterhealer Jesslyn. People stopped looking down on her with disdain and starting treating her with mild respect. She'd learned to splint broken bones, stitch open wounds, and treat infected cuts. She'd learned how to mix poultices and gather herbs for medicinal purposes. There was always something new for her to learn, and it kept her mind sharp.

Although in her heart she longed to be a queenrider, she'd learned to be content with what she had. Zareth slept in the adjoining cavern, having grown thrice her size since her hatching, and Elienya listened to the soft, steady sound of her breathing. At first, she hadn't been able to be around the little queen without crying, but now she could tolerate Zareth's presence.

A few minutes later, Cesrik burst into the Weyr, her face flushed with anger. "Those wherry brained idiots," she seethed. "How many times do I have to show those dimglows the sharding records!"

Elienya set aside the riding harness. "How did it go?" she asked sarcastically.

Cesrik, a straightforward girl who sometimes missed Elienya's wry humor, said, "Horribly. Those idiots are more concerned with the rebels than with the possibility of Thread." She let out an exasperated breath and played with her bangs. "There's been another attack on a tithe train, and I admit, it's worse than I thought. If things continue in this fashion, we won't have enough food to last us through this winter."

Surprise riled Elienya. She hadn't realized it was quite that bad, either, but Cesrik had the duty of leaning to managing the lower caverns and instructing the Headwoman, as Junior Weyrwoman, and she would know such things.

"I see the concern. What do they plan to do?"

Cesrik scowled. "They want to send an emissary to the rebels to negotiate peace."

"Peace? I don't know about that," said Elienya. "Why are they attacking in the first place? I doubt it's peace they're after. If they wanted something from us, they would've said so by now."

"I had the same thought," grumbled Cesrik. She continued to pace, one hand on her hip.

Elienya cocked her head to the side. "Something else happened. What is it?"

Cesrik cast her a begrudging look. "Sometimes I hate how perceptive you are." She sighed and threw herself into the chair beside Elienya. "They told me to stop letting myself be influenced by a drudge," she nearly shouted. "You're not a _drudge_ , you're a Healer's apprentice! Besides, what does it matter if you're a drudge or an apprentice? Those records are irrefutable _proof_ that Thread exists, that it will fall, but those fools refuse to see that." After their initial conversation, Elienya had shown Cesrik all the records she'd found on Thread, dragons, and Pern, and Cesrik had become a staunch believer in the inevitability of Thread.

"The Harper song even says, _The Finger points at an eye blood red, Alert the Weyrs to sear the Thread._ ' Well, the Red Star is nearly bracketed by the stone!"

"We'll find a way to get through to them," said Elienya.

Cesrik threw up her hands in frustration. "What else can we do? We're running out of time."

Elienya turned and gazed towards Zareth's Weyr. In truth, she didn't have an answer. In all the time she'd imagined herself preparing the Weyr for Thread, _she'd_ been the one to ride a queen dragon into battle. What could a Healer's apprentice due to prepare a Weyr for Thread? How could she assist the Junior Weyrwoman in the task? Closing her eyes, Elienya tried to imagine herself as the Junior Weyrwoman. If she had the power, what would she do with it?

"We need to take matters into our own hands," she said. "We need to see if there are supporter in the Weyr, and we need to reach out to the other Weyrs. Perhaps one of the other Weyrleaders or Weyrwomen will listen to us."

She opened her eyes to see Cesrik's dubious look. "How would we do that? Zareth isn't old enough to fly."

"What about C'net?" she asked, referring to Cesrik's most recent bronzerider lover.

Cesrik dismissed the idea with a flick of her wrist. "Weyr politics won't allow it. If I visit another Weyr without permission, or without an invitation, it'll be seen as a threat to the other Queenriders."

Elienya sighed. She hadn't considered that. "What if we hold a Gather?"

Cesrik's eyes gleamed. "Oh, now that's positively delightful! What an innocent way to gather all of the Weyrleaders and Weyrwoman in one place." Cesrik tapped a hand to her plump finger and smiled. "I think that'll work. I'll suggest it to Weyrleader V'neren tonight."

"Splendid. Do you want me to call the others?"

"There's no need," said Cesrik. "I had Zareth reach out to Certh and Lopith." As if the names of their dragons had been a summons, Eryn and Pennoly appeared at the threshold to the queen's weyr.

Eryn hurried inside with a broad smile. "Elienya! It's good to see you." She drew Elienya into a shy hug, but bumped the riding harness with her hip and sent it crashing to the ground. With a squeak of surprise, she bent hurriedly to pick it up and place it back on the table with a sheepish grin, causing Elienya to smile. Impressing Certh had given her more confidence in herself, and taken away most of her fear, though she remained a quiet thing.

Pennoly grunted in greeting and folded her arms across her chest. "What's this about?" Elienya regarded the other girl fondly. Although her outward disposition hadn't much changed, Lopith's constant adoration had softened Pennoly considerably.

"We have news," said Cesrik. She explained the outcome of the Weyr Council, which had Pennoly scowling and Eryn bobbing her head in understanding. After showing them the same records she'd shown Cesrik, Eryn had reluctantly agreed Thread might fall, while Pennoly said, with her usual tact, "I'll put up with this madness for the sake of friendship."

"Oh, a Gather," squeaked Eryn. "I'd love to attend a Gather! I could invite my family!"

"It's more important than that, Eryn," said Pennoly. "There are politics involved."

Eryn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"In essence," said Pennoly with a questioning glance at Elienya. "You want to woo the other Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen to your side. You're going against V'neren."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it," said Elienya, and Cesrik nodded.

"It won't work," said Pennoly, ever the pessimist. "Why would the leaders of a Weyr listen to a Junior Weyrwoman with no authority—" She gestured to Zareth's weyr. "—and a healer's apprentice?"

Although Elienya didn't want to admit it, she had a good point. "We have the records."

"Records proving Thread fell in the past, not that they'll fall in the future," she pointed out. Eryn made a small noise and nodded, fiddling with the riding straps she'd knocked to the floor.

Elienya and Cesrik shared a look. Once again, she had a point. Although it came across rather harshly, Elienya knew Pennoly was trying to help in her own twisted way – she asked the questions as hypotheticals to strengthen their plan, not to demoralize them.

"It's the best we have," said Cesrik.

"We should explore the lower caverns," said Elienya, "and see if we can find anything else."

"Between Weyrling chores and dragon maintenance?" said Pennoly. "We won't have anytime."

Elienya sighed. "I'll do it. I should find time between my apprentice hours in the Healer Hall."

"Good!" Cesrik clapped her hands and rose with a grin, looking fresher than she had after her bout with the Weyr Council. "Then let's eat, I'm starving." The girls walked to the kitchen together, chatting all the while about their dragons and Weyrling gossip. Elienya listened with a polite smile and ignored the envy burrowing into her heart. Apparently, someone had stumbled in on Cesrik and C'net, which meant Cesrik's secret had been exposed to the entire junior Weyrling class. Even though Weyrlings weren't allowed to be intimate, Cesrik had broken that rule at least a dozen time in her short time as Junior Weyrwoman. She'd been punished with latrine duty, a far more lenient punishment than she'd expected.

However, it had bolstered the confidence of the other Weyrlings, and Cesrik herself knew of more than a few trysts. Eryn had her eye on a cute brownrider, but Pennoly feigned indifference to all their charms. The girls had a lunch of sliced wherry meat, tubers, and sweet buns, and by the time it concluded their dragons had awoken with ravenous hunger. After bidding Elienya farewell they left, leaving Elienya to nurse a cup of _klah_ and weigh her options for the day. She'd be able to sneak out between her lessons and dinner to explore the lower caverns. Should she take someone with her, in the event she became lost? No, if she did, she could reach out to one of the dragons and let them know of her predicament.

A handsome boy wearing the blue of a harper sat at her side with a cup of _klah_ , jostling her elbow. "Hello," he said. "I heard you like Thread."

Elienya stared at him. It was the strangest greeting she'd ever heard in her entire life. "Yes?" She studied him more closely. He had straight auburn hair and bright green eyes, with a slight cleft in his chin and a thin, straight nose. He reminded her of someone Cesrik would try and lure into her bed.

"Might I ask why?"

Elienya's eyes narrowed. "You're a—" She looked at his shoulder knots. "—Journeyman Harper. SHouldn't you know your own teaching ballads?"

"Those are fun songs we teach to the kids," he said, "not proof of Thread's existence."

"Why do you care, then?" she asked, a challenge in her voice.

He flashed her a charming smile. "I remember you from the previous hatching," he said. "I was Searched from the Harper Hall at Bitra, and I decided to stay on as a Weyrsinger apprentice when I didn't Impress. I remember the way you saved us from the rebel attack by taking us to the lower caverns. It was very impressive, might I add. Thank you for your assistance." And, to her surprise, he lifted her hands and brushed his lips across her knuckles in a chaste kiss.

Elienya jerked her hand away. "You're welcome."

"If I recall correctly," he said with a sly grin. "You found something in the cavern we entered. I wondered if it might be related to Thread?"

"Once again," said Elienya, "I fail to understand your interest in the matter."

"As a Harper, I'm a storyteller, my lady," he said, "and I have the feeling you have a very interesting story to tell."

Elienya cocked her head to the side, considering. What could it hurt to show him the records? If she wanted to "woo people to her side," she might as well start with this charming Journeyman Harper.

"I'm Elienya of Benden Weyr," she said, and extended her hand.

"Deilen," he said, "of Bitra." After she'd finished her _klah_ , Elienya showed him to her room in the lower caverns and showed him the records. Deilen poured over them with apparent interest, his green eyes skimming the page. He rubbed his chin, where faint stubble grew.

"Well?" asked Elienya.

"Interesting," he said. "Very interesting. I believed Thread to be a myth, but I suppose this prove it existed at one point."

"At one point? It will fall again."

"There's no proof of that," said Deilen, bringing up Pennoly's point from earlier.

"I'll find proof," she said.

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I'm going to search the lower caverns for more hidden rooms."

Deilen leapt to his feet with a grin. "Might I join you? It sounds like a worthy adventure for a storyteller!"

Elienye tried not to roll her eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."


	8. The Dream

They agreed to meet later in the evening to begin their search, and left to go their separate ways. On the way to her lessons with Masterhealer Jesslyn, a commotion drew Elienya to the kitchen. There were dragonriders spaced throughout the room, toasting with cups of red and white wine. She recognized Junior Weyrleader V'lorian near the biggest group, and one of the dragonriders pounded his back in congratulations.

Frowning, Elienya drifted closer to hear their conversation.

"…a clutch of thirty-eight eggs!" said one of the dragonriders. "Well done, V'lorian, you coy bastard." Her stomach clenched. Benelith had lain her clutch, and it was more proportionate to the size it should've been near a Pass. The eggs would harden and be ready to Impress in about a month. Elienya closed her eyes against a surge of emotions. Hope. Regret. Longing. Despair. Fear. If Benelith clutched a queen egg, would she have a chance? Did she want to _take_ that chance? With a shake of her head, she turned and strode towards the Healer Hall.

 _One sevenday later…_

"There's nothing here," said Deilen with a sigh. He sat on a dusty wooden chair in one corner of the room, an old book sprawled across his lap. He had his feet propped up on a low table, crossed at the ankles, and his hands folded. "We've searched a dozen times."

"There has to be something," said Elienya, flipping through records laid on a table before her. "The door looked identical to the one we found, and was clearly from an older time in the Weyr." She cast an annoyed glance over her shoulder. "Will you please make yourself useful and help?"

Deilen rose to his feet with a mocking bow. "Yes, my lady." Ignoring her glare, he placed the tome back on the shelf and began rummaging through the records on the book cases. Hours passed in dusty silence as they searched, until Deilen made an exclamation and hurried to her side.

"I think I found something. I didn't think anything of it at first, but it reminded me of the other records you showed me," he said.

Elienya studied the records. It resembled the map showing the orbit of the Red Star and Pern, but there was something different about it. There were multiple years scratched into the side in a long list of tallies, but the years extended—

Elienya gasped. "We found it! This is exactly what we need—" She cut off with a strangled sound. According to the original ledgers, the last Thread should've fallen three hundred Turns ago. Yet beside it, someone had written _in her handwriting_ a new date, three Turns from the present day.

"What is it?" asked Deilen.

"Nothing," she said in a daze. How could her handwriting be on Turns old parchment? It reminded her of her odd discovery in the other cavern. What was happening? Gathering the scroll into her arms, Elienya hurried from the lower caverns with Deilen to the Weyrwoman's Weyr. When she didn't find Cesrik, she walked out to the Weyrbowl and found the Junior Weyrwoman oiling her gold alongside Eryn and Pennoly. Zareth lay on her belly with her inner eyelids closed, her tail twitching in contentment. Certh lay on her side, whings splayed, while Eryn attacked dry scales on her underbelly, and Pennoly oiled one of Lopith's splayed wings. The dragonets gleamed in the sun, a fine, healthy color.

Cesrik smiled and waved at her, the oil causing her hands to glisten. Zareth's eyes slid open, and the queen lifted her head. "Hi, Eli!" Her light brown eyes perused Deilen, and her lips quirked. "Hello, there. I don't believe we've met. I'm—"

"Junior Weyrwoman Cesrik, rider of gold Zareth," said Deilen with a bow. "I'm Deilen, a Weyrsinger apprentice. I make it my job to know the dragonriders of my Weyr, my lady."

Cesrik smirked and swaggered closer, her hips swinging wide with every step. Elienya bit down on her lower lip to hide a laugh, wondering how receptive Deilen would be to her advances. As far as she knew, none of the bronzeriders she'd targeted had been immune.

Cesrik placed a coy hand on his arm and said, "Well, I hope to afford you the opportunity to know me better in the future."

Zareth snorted in disapproval. _He's not a dragonrider,_ said the queen. Cesrik's reply was lost to her. The innuendo made Elienya blush, but Deilen responded with a polite smile. "I would appreciate that, Junior Weyrwoman." Eryn and Pennoly wandered over to join them, oil coloring the fronts of their dresses.

"Deilen, I'd like you to meet Eryn, rider of green Certh, and Pennoly, rider of green Lopith," said Elienya.

Deilen bowed, but Pennoly hardly glanced at him. "What is it?" she asked. The other girls knew about Deilen's interest in Thread, and had agreed he should accompany her to the lower caverns. With one glance at Deilen, Eryn lowered her eyes and stepped partially behind Pennoly to shield herself.

Certh crooned gently. _It's alright, he has a good heart, I can tell,_ said the green to her rider. The words coaxed Eryn to step out from behind Pennoly, but she kept her eyes firmly planted on the grass in front of her.

"I think I—"

"We," interjected Deilen.

"—we found something. Look." She unrolled the parchment for them, and the girls peered closer.

Cesrik's brow creased. "Wait, this handwriting looks familiar…" She made a small, startled noise and snatched the parchment from Elienya's hand. "Brilliant! You're a sharding genius, Eli! Why didn't I think of this before?"

Elienya shared a confused look with Deilen, who shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"You wrote the last date on this paper, didn't you?" Cesrik pointed at Elienya's unmistakable handwriting. "It's perfect! The Weyrleader won't know the difference."

Elienya opened her mouth to reply, but Pennoly spoke over her. "It's an idiotic idea," she said. "What if Thread doesn't fall on the random day you've chosen? You'll look like even bigger fools than before, and completely lose the trust and confidence of the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman."

"I didn't write it," said Elienya.

Cesrik gave her a blank look. "But it's your handwriting."

"It's the first time I've seen it, I swear."

Although Deilen looked at her with a thoughtful glance, he said, "I was there. We found the door together."

"She could've snuck in earlier and placed it there," said Pennoly.

"It took two of us to push it open," said Deilen.

"She could've found someone else to help her."

"Would you like to interrogate the entire Weyr?" snapped Elienya. "Besides, who else would I ask? I don't have any other friends."

Pennoly shrugged. "A random rider would do."

"I didn't write it," repeated Elienya firmly.

"Interesting," said Deilen with a smirk. "Very interesting."

"You already said that," mumbled Elienya.

"It remains to be true."

Although Cesrin looked doubtful, she said, "I believe you. Perhaps someone had very similar handwriting to yours hundreds of Turns ago." Pennoly snorted.

"Should we present it to V'neren?" asked Eryn quietly, playing with a lock of her brown hair.

"We should make copies first," said Elienya, "in case he destroys it."

"Good. I'll present it to him once you do." Cesrik handed back the parchment, and Elienya and Deilen left for lunch.

At night, Elienya dreamed of flying the skies of Pern on the back of a beautiful gold dragon. She and her queen flew over the tropical jungles of the Southern Continent, where firelizards played with the waves and dolphins swam through the crescent shaped coves. The rippling waves of the sea created a mirror of the moon and stars overhead, until Elienya couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

She drifted along, happy and at peace, until she noticed a shift in the scenery. Curious, she directed her queen dragon towards the copse of space, and made a startled sound. There were acres of herdbeasts penned outside the reaches of the Southern Weyr, out in the middle of nowhere.

 _What a strange dream,_ she thought. _Why would herdbeasts be in the middle of the jungle_?

A shock ran through her and she tumbled off the dragon's back. She screamed as she fell to the roiling sea below.

Elienya woke with a gasp, her bed sheets tangled around her legs. She sat up and smoothed a hand across her sweaty face, breathing deeply. She'd had the same dream for weeks in a row, and wondered what it could mean. Why did she see the herdbeasts? Why did she fall off the dragon's back? She felt it had significance, but she couldn't place her finger on exactly what.

Rising, she walked over to pour herself a cup of water and lit a glow basket to finish transcribing the Thread report. Afterwards, she took a bath, changed into a blue woolen dress, and walked to the kitchen for breakfast.

Eryn and Pennoly waited for her, but Cesrik was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," said Pennoly, but Eryn merely grunted. Her eyes were heavily lidded, and her breathing came in the slow, deep rhythm of one half-asleep. It always took her quite a few hours to fully wake. Elienya slathered jam onto toast, poured herself a cup of _klah_ , and asked after the green dragons. At that moment, there was a loud _bang_ from the kitchen, followed by the angry, stomping strides of the Headwoman.

"…absolutely forbid it!" Headwoman Veteny shouted.

Cesrik hurried after her, a ledger clenched in one hand. Her lips were pressed tightly together, on the verge of an angry meltdown herself. "But, Headwoman Veteny, we're running low on numbweed, fellis juice, wherry meat—"

"I will _never_ ask another Weyr for assistance!" thundered the Headwoman. "We have our honor and dignity to uphold! We are an autonomous Weyr, and we can take care of ourselves."

"Headwoman—"

"I've made my decision, and it's final. You're a Junior Weyrwoman _in training_ , and you should know your place." Shooting Cesrik a reproachful glare, Headwoman Veteny stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a pocket of startled silence in her wake. Face flushed with anger, Cesrik stalked over to their table and threw herself onto the bench with a scowl.

"I'd like to take that woman and drop her _between_ ," she muttered darkly.

"What happened?" asked Elienya.

Cesrik handed her the parchment, which she skimmed with quick eyes. Her brows creased. It was bad. Their stores of reserve food were diminishing faster than she thought possible. Then again, with new Weyrlings and more on the way, the Weyr had grown far more than it was able to sustain itself given the low tithes and thieving.

"I told Headwoman Veteny we should reach out to the other Weyrs for assistance," she said with a sigh. "You saw how well she received _that_ bit of advice."

"I think it's smart," Pennoly surprised them by saying. "We may be autonomous, but if they have anything to give, we should gladly accept it."

"I agree," said Elienya, but her thoughts kept returning to her dream. What if it was some sort of premonition? She'd never heard it happen to anyone else before, but she did have a special telepathic connection with dragons. What if her gifts extended beyond the mere realm of mental speech?

"I have an idea," she said.

"An idea? It sounds like an adventure to me," said Deilen, walking over to them with a cup of steaming _klah_ in his hand.

Elienya arched a brow. "You have a knack for showing up whenever we're planning something."

"I like to think of it as a gift," he said with a wink. Cesrik shifted aside to make room for him on the bench with a grin, but Deilen kept his green eyes focused on Elienya's face as he sat.

"What's your plan?" asked Cesrik, something in her gaze shifting the longer she watched Deilen.

"I think we should go to the Southern Continent."


	9. The Southern Continent

The others responded with various levels of surprise, aside from Eryn, who continued to stare at a wall and yawn occasionally.

"I'd love to go to the beach," said Cesrik wistfully.

"Why?" asked Pennoly.

"I have an instinct we may be able to find help there."

"Do you think the Southern Weyr would help us?"

"No, not exactly," said Elienya slowly. If she told them about her dream, they really would think she'd lost her mind. Pennoly barely agreed to help them in the first place, and she didn't want to lose her support entirely. She didn't want Cesrik to begin doubting her validity either.

"That's not a good enough reason for me," said Pennoly. "I'm going to stay and complete my chores."

"I want to get away from Headwoman Veteny for the day and go to the beach," said Cesrik.

"A day at the beach sounds fun," said Deilen.

Eryn grunted and said nothing.

After she received permission from her Weyrlingmaster, Cesrik fed and oiled Zareth one last time before settling the queen to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. She found C'net and coaxed him into taking them to the beaches on the Southern Continent for a day of relaxing. He wasn't a traditionally attractive man, but there was a sharp quality to C'net's features that most found alluring. Although she wasn't certain bronze Bith would able to carry four passengers, he assured her proudly that he could.

When Elienya approached Bith, her heart clenched and her stomach squeezed. The bronze dragon crooned a greeting to Cesrik but regarded Elienya curiously, as if sensing her distress. She swallowed her envy and stepped onto the dragon's forepaw before vaulting onto the long neck. Even if she never Impressed, at least she would be able to fly on a dragon whenever she wanted.

She buckled in her straps with Deilen, waited for Cesrik, C'net to stop kissing and do the same, and held her breath. Bith's muscled gathered beneath him, and then he sprang into the sky, dropping off their weyrledge. Elienya's heart rose into her throat, and Cesrik released a loud _whoop_ that drew a smile to her face. Snapping open his sails, Bith settled into a steady glide, then beat his wings and rose gradually towards the Star Stones.

"We're about to go _between_ ," shouted C'net above the wind.

Elienya recited the song to herself as the dragon took them _between._ _"Black, blacker, blackest…"_ It was colder and darker than anything she'd experienced in her entire life. It took all sight, all sound, and all smell, and destroyed it. She wasn't aware of Bith's neck ridges between her knees, or of Cesrik in front of her. She couldn't even hear her own breathing.

She'd barely gotten through the first line of the song when Bith burst out of _between_ above a beautiful view of the Southern Continent. Jungle stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by the blue-green sea stretching towards the horizon. When Bith angled down to land on a nearby cove, Elienya directed him farther down the shore, closer to where she'd flown in her dream.

 _Why?_ the bronze asked her.

 _There's a lovely beach there,_ she lied. If Bith caught onto the partial truth, he didn't show it. He landed where she suggested and allowed his riders to dismount.

"Thank you, Bith," said Elienya.

 _You're welcome,_ said Bith with a soft rumble. Elienya smiled and patted the bronze dragon on his forepaw as Deilen slid down behind her. Cesrik unstrapped her harness, but before she could dismount C'net whisked her into his arms and vaulted off the dragon's neck. Squealing, Cesrik wrapped her arms around C'net's neck and giggled as he landed and set her on her feet.

Deilen watched them in apparent amusement, his thumbs tucked into the tops of his breeches. "They're quite a couple," he remarked.

"He won't last," said Elienya before she could stop herself.

Deilen frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"I love Cesrik, but she goes through men like undergarments," she said. "It's how she is."

Deilen whistled under his breath. "I appreciate the warning."

"She's a wonderful person, and a very good lover from what I've heard," said Elienya in defense of her best friend.

Deilen lifted his hands, a small smile on his lips as if he knew something she didn't. "I meant no offense." He tilted his head to the side, regarding her as if seeing her for the first time. "You're loyal to your friends. I like that."

 _I like that._ Before she could spend too much time thinking on that, Elienya started walking towards the tree line.

"Eli? Where are you going?" Cesrik asked. "Do you want to go into the water?"

"In a little bit," she called back. "I need to…relieve myself." That would keep Deilen and C'net from following. Releasing C'net with a kiss on his cheek, Cesrik pranced over and linked their arms together.

"I'll join you!" The girls walked across the sand and through the palm trees. They'd walked for a few minutes before Cesrik asked, "What's this really about?" When Elienya gave her a questioning look, Cesrik smiled and bumped her shoulder. "I know you, Eli. You're planning something."

Elienya hesitated. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"You told me Thread would fall again, and I believed you," said Cesrik. "I won't think you're crazy."

Elienya took in a deep breath and held it, stumbling over the trunk of a fallen palm tree. The sun baked down on them from overhead, warmer than they were used to in Benden Weyr. It shone through the canopy of light green leaves, casting small, dancing shadows along the sand. It turned her palms clammy with sweat, her woolen dress uncomfortably thick.

"I had a dream," she murmured.

Cesrik cocked a brow. "A dream?"

"Yes. I saw a pen of herdbeasts in the Southern Continent."

"There are plenty of herdbeast pens at the Southern Weyr," said Cesrik.

"No, these were in the middle of the jungle."

"In the middle of the jungle," said Cesrik slowly.

"Would you please stop repeating everything I say?"

Cesrik shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just…I admit, I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding this."

"It's hard to explain," said Elienya, "but I feel like we were meant to be here. I feel like we're meant to find those herdbeasts." Without another word, Cesrik followed her deeper into the jungle, but the look she cast her best friend was laced with doubt and worry. They walked for what felt like hours before the trees began to lighten around them and opened entirely onto a plain…of penned herdbeasts.

Cesrik jerked to a halt, stopping Elienya with her. "By Faranth's egg," she breathed, "you were right. What are these doing here? How did you…how did you know?"

"I have no idea," said Elienya. Despite her initial shock at the sight of the herdbeasts, relief quickly took its place. She hadn't lost her mind. Her instinct had been right. Somehow, her dream had told her there were herdbeasts in the Southern Continent, waiting for her.

There was a slight mountain nearby, with a craggy opening split down the grey center. A man walked out from the opening, small figures darting through the air around him. He had grey hair and a thin white beard, but his blue eyes were keen and bright. He wore the brown coveralls of a farmer, but his wrinkled hands were clean and steady.

Elienya walked forward to meet him with Cesrik at her side.

The man stopped a few paces away, and a gold _firelizard_ – an honest to Faranth firelizard – landed on his shoulder with a chirp. Gasping, Cesrik ran forward in delight, shouting, "A firelizard!" but the creature disappeared _between_ in a flash.

"Easy there," said the man with a laugh. "They startle easily."

"How do you have a firelizard?" asked Cesrik, her eyes shining. "Where can I get one? I thought they were extinct!"

"They're not extinct, just hidden," said the man. He turned to Elienya with a smile and familiarity she couldn't share. He looked at her like he knew her, like there was shared past between them. "Hello, Elienya. I've been waiting for you."

Cesrik's smile fell, and Elienya took a step back. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"Well, I've met you," he said, "but you haven't met me yet."

Elienya shook her head in bewilderment, and Cesrik stepped back to her side, eying the man as if he were a threat. "I don't understand," said Elienya.

"No, I don't suppose you would. Would you girls like some fruit juice?"

"No," said Elienya and Cesrik at the same time.

The man chuckled. "Very well, I see you girls won't waste any time. I'm Masterherdsman Terren, and my wife, Masterfarmer Vera, is back in our home." He gestured to the rock face he'd walked out from. "We've lived here for over ten Turns in secret."

"Why?" asked Elienya.

"We've been waiting for you, of course. According to you, there was a shortage of supplies at Benden Weyr, and you needed me to breed as many herdbeasts and plant as many vegetables and wheat as I could."

Elienya met Cesrik's wide eyes and knew her shock mirrored her own.

"But how would you—I've never met you before," protested Elienya.

"I said you haven't met me _yet_ ," said Masterherdsman Terren. "We've met in the past, my dear girl."

Elienya shook her head in an attempt to clear it, her thoughts whirling faster than a diving dragon. What did he mean, _they'd met in the past_? How was that possible? She could speak to dragons, and apparently her dreams had prophetic properties, but she couldn't entertain the notion she existed in two times at once.

"Dragons have a latent ability to travel between times as well as places," said Masterherdsmen Terren. "It's a skill that's been lost over the centuries. You discovered it by accident, and decided to use it. It's rather ingenious, if I may say."

"But—"

"Oh, and you instructed me to give you this." The Mastersherdsman took a map from his pocket and handed it to her. It showed a map of the Southern Continent, with a large black _X_ painted through one of the coves.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's a map."

"We know it's a map," said Cesrik irritably. "Where does it lead?"

"If you follow it, you'll find out," said Terren with a wink. "Now, how would you like to transport these herdbeasts to the Weyr?"


	10. The Firelizards

Although she didn't understand everything that had happened, if the man wanted to offer assistance to the Weyr, she wasn't in a position to refuse. She turned a questioning look on Cesrik, who sucked on her lower lip and studied the herdbeasts behind them.

"What about the vegetables? And the wheat?"

"We have reserves in the back," he said. "You're welcome to take those as well."

"Do you have the herbs for numbweed and fellis juice?"

"Yes, my lady. Oh, and congratulations on Impressing golden Zareth," he said with a kind smile. "She's a beauty."

Cesrik blinked in surprise. "Did I visit you in the past, as well?"

"Yes, on occasion. It was Elienya who approached me with the idea, but you helped check in every few Turns or so to make sure all was well." The girls shared a look, but it warmed Elienya's heart to hear. It meant their friendship had lasted for who knew how many Turns, and they remained united in their cause.

"Splendid! We have a bronzerider here with us now," said Cesrik and grinned with purpose. "We'll have him contact other riders to transport the herdbeasts and the rest."

"Good," said Terren.

"Why the Southern Continent?" Elienya couldn't help but ask.

"The grubs," said Terren. "The grubs in the Southern Continent can eat Thread. You wanted us to be protected in case Thread fell earlier than you'd expected."

"And you just…went along with this," said Elienya with a wave of her hand to the herdbeasts and the rocky dwelling of their home.

"Well, I couldn't refuse," said Terren with a laugh. "You gave me everything I've ever wanted."

"What's that?"

He lifted a hand, and the gold firelizard appeared from _between_ to settle on his outstretched forearm. Love warmed his soft blue eyes, and he stroked her eyeridge until she hummed with pleasure. "It was always my dream to Impress a dragon," he murmured. "When I wasn't chosen on Search, I decided to become a Master Herdsman instead. It allowed me to stay at the Weyr with the dragons, and I was able to work closely with other animals. But you…you brought me these firelizard eggs, and it hatched Bell. My wife has a bronze and a blue."

Elienya studied the little firelizard curiously. "How did I find the firelizard eggs?"

Terren winked but didn't comment. "It's good to see you again, Elienya. Farewell, Cesrik."

"It was nice to meet you," said Cesrik.

"Goodbye," said Elienya. Elienya and Cesrik left to find C'net and tell him of their discovery. Once they did, he immediately left to gather more riders to transport the herdbeasts, vegetables, and herbs back to the Weyr. While he did, Elienya, Cesrik, and Deilen decided to explore the cove the map had indicated. It took them a little distance on foot, but Elienya and Cesrik kicked off their shoes and walked through the surf to cool themselves. Deilen waved a hand across his face.

"When I write about this ballad," he said, "it's not going to be pleasant."

"You're going to write a song about our trip to the Southern Continent?" asked Elienya. "Why?"

"My dear lady, you found a mysterious Master Herdsman and his wife who just happened to have the supplies the Weyr so desperately requires, and you don't think that's worthy of a song?"

Elienya blushed, and Cesrik looked sharply between them. "Well, if you insist."

"Eli," said Cesrik and took her arm. "Can I talk to you?" Before Elienya could protest, Cesrik dragged her forward through the sand, nearly making her trip.

"What?" asked Elienya.

Cesrik glanced over her shoulder and whispered, "Deilen likes you."

Elienya's blush deepened. "No, he doesn't."

Cesrik scoffed. "Come now, I didn't expect a Weyrbrat to be so chaste."

"You know I've never been with a man before, Cesrik."

"Well, there's no time like the present!"

"I don't know." Elienya didn't deny that Deilen was handsome, but she hardly knew him, and she certainly didn't know how she felt about him. "How do you know he likes me?"

Cesrik started to count on her fingers. "He won't stop looking at you, he smiles around you all the time, and the last, but most important thing, he's immune to my charm!"

Elienya laughed. "Are you sure he hasn't simply wounded your pride and you're looking for an excuse?"

Sniffing, Cesrik tossed her black hair over one shoulder. "I may be petty, but I'm not _that_ petty."

"True— _Oh!_ " Elienya and Cesrik stopped, awed by the spectacle before them. There were firelizards wheeling on the cove, splashing through the waves and warbling to each other. A small golden firelizard curled on the sands around a clutch of eggs, her wings splayed to protect them from the full strength of the suns. At their approach, the little queen lifted her head, her eyes whirling orange, and vanished _between._ Releasing cries of distress, the other firelizards followed until the cove had emptied.

"Firelizard eggs!" shrieked Cesrik. Deilen ran forward to join them as the Junior Weyrwoman descended on the clutch, kneeling in the sand. "There are eighteen of them. Eighteen!" She placed a gentle hand against the shell. "It looks like they're close to hatching. We need to get them back to the Weyr quickly."

"Are you sure we should take them?" asked Elienya.

"Of course! How else will we…" She trailed off with a glance at Deilen. "How else will be speak with Terren?" she said pointedly.

Elienya's eyes widened. Did her friend honestly believe the the Master Herdsmen without any sort of proof? Well, she supposed the presence of the herdbeasts in the middle of the Southern Continent was proof enough…but it was still a lot for her mind to process. Confusion passed across Deilen's face, but he held his peace. While Deilen stayed behind to guard the eggs, Elienya and Cesrik walked back to the shore where C'net waited for them.

"Let me guess," the bronzerider said with a smirk at the looks on their faces. "You've made another discovery."

"We found firelizard eggs!" Cesrik burst out, and C'net's eyes widened.

"Firelizards? Those are extinct."

"Not extinct," said Cesrik and waggled her eyebrows, "just hidden. We'll show you." Bith followed in the air as the girls showed him to the cove of the firelizard eggs. Although he looked shocked, he couldn't deny what was plain before his eyes, and he helped transport the eighteen firelizard eggs back to the Weyr. Since they couldn't fly _between_ , it took longer for them to fly straight to Benden Weyr.

In the Weyrbowl, the other riders had returned with their wares, but the Weyrleader was in an uproar. He stalked amongst the laden creatures, shouting orders at the riders and waving his hands through the air. Overhead, bronze Kyoth trumpeted his rider's anger and flared his wings, gazing imperiously upon the other dragons.

 _Stupid Kyoth's displeased,_ said Zareth in obvious annoyance. _His rider wants to speak with you immediately._ It showed how little she cared for the Weyrleader that Zareth didn't call him by name.

At the sight of them, V'neren stalked over and roared, "What's the meaning of this?"

On her ledge, Zareth bugled a warning and flared her wings, displeased with how the Weyrleader addressed her rider. Other curious croons and warbles answered her from the other dragons in the Weyr.

Elienya finished unbuckling the straps of her riding harness and slid from Bith's neck. The bronze rumbled with unease, his tail twitching. Cesrik, Deilen, and C'net followed. The bronzerider immediately snapped to attention and saluted his Weyrelader, his expression stoic.

Cesrik glided forward with a serene expression on her face. "What do you mean, Weyrleader V'neren?"

"Why did you _steal_ these herdbeasts from the Southern Weyr?" he demanded.

"We didn't steal them from the Southern Weyr," said Cesrik. "They were ours."

"It's true," said C'net after a slight hesitation. "We spoke to the Masters Herdsman, and he said he'd been breeding them for Benden Weyr."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that to defend your lover, bronzerider?" asked the Weyrleader angrily.

Color rose to C'net's face. "Yes, Weyrleader. It's the truth."

"Well, I've sent a messenger to H'rezen at Southern Weyr. We'll know the truth soon enough. Until then, both of you are to stay in your Weyrs until I decide your punishment." He jabbed a finger at Elienya and Cesrik. "As for you, I want you to take me to this Master Herdsman so I might speak with him myself." He shook his head and walked off, mumbling under his breath, "Of all the idiotic, wherry-brained…"

C'net started to walk after him and said, "Sir, there's more. We found—"

"Thank you, Weyrleader V'neren," said Cesrik. She grabbed C'net and yanked him to a halt, an irritable expression on our face. "None of that, C'net."

"But the firelizard eggs—"

"Did you not see the mood he's in? If he sees them, he'll confiscate them. No, we're going to tend to them ourselves. Come along, Eli." With all the pride and dignity of a queenrider, Cesrik took her sack of firelizard eggs from Bith's riding straps and marched back towards the Weyr. Smiling at her best friend's back, Elienya grabbed her satchel and left, with Deilen and C'net behind her.

Elienya reached out with her mind to Polith and Certh. _Will you please ask Eryn and Pennoly to meet us in the queen's Weyr?_

 _Zareth let us know,_ said Certh kindly. _They're on their way._

In the queen's Weyr, Cesrik set down the sack of firelizard eggs on the bed and went to soothe Zareth, who's eyes whirled yellow with anger.

 _The nerve!_ seethed the queen. _He had no right to speak to you like that!_

"Don't worry, my love," crooned Cesrik and patted her growing queen's forepaw. "I promise Kyoth will never fly you." C'net blurted out a nervous laugh, but Deilen and Elienya grinned.

 _Never,_ agreed Zareth vehemently. _I'm going to have a word with him about his rider's conduct._ Grunting and grumbling, Zareth curled herself into a ball on her stone cot and rested her angular head on her forepaws. As if only just noticing the sack of firelizard eggs, she extended her maw and sniffed at the bag. _What are those?_

"Those are firelizard eggs," said Cesrik. She winked at the others. "Zareth's curious."

"What should we do?" ashed Deilen.

"We'll need sand," said Elienya. "And we'll need to keep them warm."

"C'net, go and fetch some sand from the Hatching Grounds," said Cesrik. "We'll start the fire." Thus dismissed, C'net deposited his sack of firelizard eggs on the ground and rushed out to get sand. Elienya and Deilen crouched in the hearth and began to set logs on the fire, working together. After he left, Eryn and Pennoly appeared, their expressions weary from chores and training. The girls bowed to Zareth, who snorted her approval.

"Good, you made it!" Cesrik took their hands and steered them towards the sacks on the bed. "You won't believe what we found!"

"More food," groaned Pennoly.

"Well, actually," said Cesrik with a sly smile. "We did." She explained everything they'd discovered in the Southern Continent, to the shock of Pennoly and Eryn – although she left out the part about jumping _between_ times on a dragon – and finished with a grand gesture at the sacks. "We have firelizard eggs!"

"Firelizard eggs?" squealed Eryn and pressed her hands to her cheeks in excitement.

"Firelizards are extinct," said Pennoly.

"Not extinct," said Elienya and Cesrik in unison. "Just hidden."

"Oh," said Cesrik, "we'll need meat for the hatchlings! Deilen, will you go and get some from the kitchens?" Bowing to the queenrider, Deilen turned and vanished, leaving the girls to discuss their exciting adventure to the Southern Continent. Elienya filled in the details Cesrik missed, and by the end of their lengthy discussion, Pennoly's face had gone blank, but Eryn bounced in her chair in excitement. While they spoke, C'net returned with satchels of sand, which he dumped near the hearth. Then, the girls took out the sturdy firelizard eggs and laid them out on the sand.

Deilen returned a few minutes afterwards with wherry meat, and they all settled down to wait. When it became clear the hatching would take longer than expected, Cesrik pulled out a deck of cards and they sat to play. After an hour had passed, one of the eggs stirred and twitched on its bed of sand, the fine mottled shell shuddering all over. Cesrik slapped her cards onto the table and rushed to the hearth, followed closely by Elienya. The egg gave an enormous twitch, fell still, then cracked down the center and spilled a blue hatchling onto the sand.

It creeled and stumbled forward, falling face first into the sand. Before anyone could move, another egg gave another shudder and cracked, revealing a wet bronze. The bronze hissed and descended upon his younger sibling with teeth and claws, tearing into his thick hide until blood soaked the sand. The blue hatchling screamed and struggled, but he couldn't fight the bronze.

Cesrik and Elienya shared a horrified look. They'd expected the firelizard hatching to be similar to a dragon hatching, but this was barbaric! When the next egg hatched and a green emerged, everyone sprang into action. C'net grabbed a slice of wherry meat and held it out, coaxing the little green slightly away from the others. Another brown hatched, and Deilen tried to entice it with a slab of wherry meat, but it chose the little green instead, launching at her with a hiss. Crying out, C'net grabbed the green hatchling as it cried and pulled it away, but it vanished _between._

"The queen egg!" said Elienya. "Someone get the queen egg!" Eyes wide and hands trembling, Eryn grabbed the queen egg and carried it slightly away from the others. Pennoly waved the wherry meat like she planned to hit the firelizards over the head with it, a scowl on her face. Deilen sang a soft song to the firelizards, and managed to catch the attention of a bronze and a blue. The bronze hissed at the little blue until it cowered and strutted forward, eying Deilen uncertainly. He set the slab of meat on the ground, and the bronze gobbled it up. Deilen laid a trail of meat to his hand, which the bronze followed, and took the last morsel from his hand.

Studying him closely, Elienya set a slab of meat on the ground. The majority of the eggs had hatched at that point, and a small green, smaller than the rest, slunk around her violent siblings with her belly low to the ground. She had a pale jade body but a darker, forest green head and tail. She noticed the meat and scurried towards it, devouring it in one gulp. An abnormally large blue, the color of the sky with darker sapphire streaks, followed the green, and for a second Elienya worried he would attack, but it merely seemed he wanted to stay close to his sister. Elienya set out a slip of meat for him and ate it with surprising restraint. She continued to set meat on the ground, coaxing the firelizards forward, until the green and blue ate directly from her hands.

The closer the firelizards came, the more she could feel their hunger, and their fear. She consoled them with waves of love and safety, hoping they would be able to feel her. Apparently, they did, because their fear began to ebb, replaced by contentment and happiness. Purring gently, the green waddled into Elienya's lap and curled herself into a ball, her stomach distended from her meal. The blue nudged her hand, licking her fingers with his soft tongue until she scratched his eyeridge. An incredulous laugh burst out of her. It wasn't the same as Impressing a dragon, she was sure, but she felt their love, their adoration, and it brought tears to her eyes.


	11. The Search

"What are you going to name them?" asked Cesrik. She had a brown cradled in the crook of her arm.

Elienya smiled. "Ging," she pointed to the green, "and Peyt." She gave the blue's eyeridge a scratch. "What about you?"

"Zan."

"Zareth and Zan," Elienya mused. "I like it." She looked at the others. The gold lay asleep in Eryn's arms, and the girl had an awed look on her face, holding the little queen gingerly as if fearing she'd vanish _between._ Deilen had the bronze firelizard in his lap, and a green firelizard on one shoulder, both chirping plaintively. C'net had managed to snare a blue, and Pennoly had a brown in her arms.

She gazed at the smashed eggs and carcasses sadly. In a clutch of eighteen eggs, only seven had survived. The rest had either gone _between_ or died at the hands of their siblings. A mess of blood, scales, and sand coated the hearth, but when Elienya rose to try and clean it Ging squawked and gave her a salty stare. Laughing, she settled back down and stroked the green's back.

"I'm sorry, my love," she cooed. Peyt crawled up into her lap and curled up alongside his sister, their snouts pressed together. He huffed and splayed one of his wings protectively across her back, and she cuddled into his side.

Zareth's head jerked up. _Kyoth's rider comes,_ she warned Cesrik.

Cesrik grimaced. "V'neren's on his way." Unable to hide the firelizards, the group waited and stared at the entrance to the Weyr. When the Weyrleader stalked inside, he froze at the sight of the firelizard clutch on the hearth and the firelizards in their arms.

"What in the name of Faranth…are those firelizards?" Eying the entire group, he marched over to Eryn, who squeaked in alarm. Alerted by her distress, the queen opened a sleepy eye and chirped in question. V'neren reached out as if to touch her but the queen hissed and he stopped. Eryn edged away from him uncertainly.

"Yes, sir," said Cesrik. "We were going to let you know, but you dismissed us to our Weyrs and we didn't want to disobey you." Elienya smothered a grin. Her best friend knew how to manipulate the Weyrleader perfectly.

"How considerate," he muttered. "Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done about it now. We'll have to monitor them closely to see what they can do." He sighed and shook his head, clearly displeased with the turn of events. "As for you two, I spoke with Weyrleader H'rezen and he said he had no knowledge of the Master Herdsmen or the food."

"As I said," said Cesrik with a polite smile. "They're ours."

"How did they get there?" asked V'neren. "Master Herdsman Terren wouldn't say, and I certainly never gave the order."

Cesrik lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. "Who can say? We stumbled upon them when we went to the Southern Continent to enjoy a day at the beach."

V'neren's eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something."

Cesrik batted her eyelashes innocently. "Am I?"

"Yes, you are. And mark my words, girl, I'll figure out what it is, and if you're up to something…"

"If I'm up to anything," said Cesrik with unexpected steel in her voice, "it's the maintenance and protection of this Weyr." The implied criticism of his role as Weyrleader was not lost on V'neren, who's eyes narrowed further. Without another word, he turned and left, casting one last glance at the gold firelizard in Eryn's arms.

 _One sevenday later…_

Elienya curled back a bandage from the dragonriders forearm and grimaced. There'd been another ambush on a supply train, but the rebels had attacked with swords instead of flamethrowers. Apparently, the man had brushed off the laceration as " a mere scratch" and left it to grow infected. Green pus leaked from the wound and trailed down his arm. His eyes were fever bright, and the color had leeched from his skin.

She treated him with fellis juice before she cleaned the wound and smeared antibiotic ointment into the pink, swollen flesh. Once she'd finished, she made sure he slept in one of the many cots in the room and went to assist Master Healer Jesslyn. Ging and Peyt snuggled in the sling she'd secured across her shoulder, asleep after their hearty breakfast. Their soft snores made Elienya smile.

"We're out of fresh bandages," said the Master Healer when she approached. "Will you go to the kitchen and make sure Veteny's boiled more like I asked?" There was no love lost between the Headwoman and Master Healer, for reasons Elienya couldn't explain. Nodding, she left the Infirmary and started to walk across the Weyrbowl when she paused. There was a huddle of Weyrbrats in the Weyrbowl facing three dragons; a brown, a blue, and a green. She squinted and took an involuntary step back. The riders had the bold _S_ on their shoulder knots that signified them as Search riders.

The dragonriders had come on Search once more.

Elienya's mind flashed back to the first time she'd been Searched. She'd been so confident, striding out there as if she deserved to be among them. What had happened to that confident girl? _I failed,_ she reminded herself, and her lips thinned. Rather than walk forward, she scurried across the Weyrbowl to the lower caverns before she could be spotted.

In the kitchens, she sought out Headwoman Veteny, who glowered at the sight of her. "What do you want? I'm busy preparing lunch."

"We're out of bandages in the Healer Hall," she said. "Did you boil more?"

Veteny sniffed. "I will once I finish lunch."

"It's quite urgent," said Elienya. "Did you know there was another attack on a supply train?"

"Of course, I know," said Veteny. "I'm not a dimglow."

"Then you should know the importance of getting us those fresh bandages," said Elienya coolly.

Veteny eyed her sourly. "Fine."

Smiling to herself, Elienya turned and left. She'd almost reached the Weyrbowl when a greenrider stepped into her path. She recognized T'van from her Search and her heart squeezed.

"There you are!" he said. "I've been looking for you. Why weren't you in the Weyrbowl?"

Elienya curtsied. "What can I do for you, sir?"

He frowned at her formal tone. "You've been Searched. Pelyth has been keeping an eye on you, and she says you're an even stronger candidate than before!" Elienya blinked. A stronger candidate? Even though she'd failed? The green must've made a mistake. Or she felt sorry for Elienya and said that to boost her spirits. Neither option appealed to her.

"Oh," she said.

"Oh?" T'van gave her a knowing look. "I know you didn't Impress the first time, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret." He cupped a hand over his mouth and leaned in close. "Pelyth's never wrong. Every candidate she's ever chosen has Impressed." He winked. "You should take that to heart, lass."

"Oh," she said again, unsure how to feel about this turn of events.

Laughing, T'van clapped her on the shoulder. "Why don't you take some time to think about it and give me your answer later, alright?" He turned and walked away, leaving Elienya to her turbulent thoughts. She kept reliving the moment on the Hatching Grounds when Zareth had, quite literally, tossed her aside in favor of Cesrik. She placed a hand to her ribcage, where the brutal scars of that day haunted her.

Dragged awake by her stormy emotions, Ging and Peyt poked their heads out of the sling and chirped. She smiled and ran a hand over their smooth heads. "I'm alright, dearlings," she said. "I'm alright." She walked across the Weyrbowl to the Infirmary, and stepped inside with a blink. Cesrik paced the length of the room, her arms folded across her chest. There was a moody tilt to her lips, and her shoulders were tight. Zan perched on her shoulder, his brown tail wrapped around her neck to keep his balance. He warbled a greeting to Ging and Peyt, who responded with pleased chirps.

"What's wrong?" asked Elienya. "Are you hurt?"

Cesrik spun to her with accusing eyes. "There you are! Where were you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Searchriders already spoke with all of the Weyrbrats," she said. "I went down to see you, but you weren't there! Come on, we're going to find a Searchrider. You're going to Impress the queen this time, I just know it!" She grabbed Elienya's hand and began hauling her towards the door, but Elienya dug in her heels and dragged them to a stop.

"I spoke with T'van," she said, lowering her eyes to the floor. "I've been Searched."

"Oh, I knew it!" Cesrik wrapped her arms around Elienya in a fierce hug, but when she pulled back and saw the look on Elienya's face, her smile fell. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know if I'm going to accept," she said quietly.

"What?" Cesrik jerked her hands back as if she'd been burned. "What are you talking about? It's your dream to Impress a gold."

Elienya closed her eyes. It _had_ been her dream, but those dreams had been dashed on the sands when Zareth mauled her. She didn't deserve to ride a queen dragon. The little dragonet had shown her that. She'd been arrogant and willful, assuming herself better than the other candidates. A queenrider needed to be confident, yes, but she also needed to have an open heart, and look beyond herself and her petty desires. She'd become too engrossed in what _she_ wanted and hadn't thought about what was best for the Weyr, and Cesrik had ended up being the best thing for the Weyr.

"Eli," said Cesrik and took her hand. "Talk to me."

"I can't go through that again," she whispered. "I just can't."

"You're afraid to fail." Elienya said nothing. "The only sure way to fail is to never try, Elienya. You have to try."

"I don't know," said Elienya.

Cesrik remained quiet for a few long moments. "Master Healer Jesslyn," she said, "may I borrow Elienya for a bit?"

"Yes, dear," said Jesslyn. She bent over the tail of a dragon to administer numbweed, her nose scrunched against the smell.

Cesrik beamed. "Thank you. Come with me." She pulled Elienya by the hand out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Cesrik took her across the Weyrbowl and through the entrance of the Hatching Grounds. Despite Elienya's protests, Cesrik pranced right up to Benelith, who'd been drowsing. She jerked awake at their approach and regarded them warily, her eyes whirling an anxious shade of orange.

Cesrik bowed. "It's a beautiful clutch, Benelith. May we see your eggs?"

Benelith preened at the compliment. _You may._ She had a far better temperament than Herth when it came to her clutch. She settled her wings along her back and watched them as Cesrik pulled Elienya towards the queen egg. Elienya bowed as she passed, and the queen gave an amused snort.

The queen egg looked larger than the one that had held Zareth, a fact that probably irked the Senior Weyrwoman. It had the same pale shell, a creamy yellow, with mottles of gold. Cesrik ran a hand along the egg and smiled, gesturing for Elienya to do the same. After a moment of hesitation, Elienya joined her, careful to keep her mental capabilities in check.

She placed her hand on the egg and felt its warmth radiating through her fingers. Unlike the last time, she'd didn't feel a nudge against her hand, but she did feel a sharp pinch of curiosity. A gasp parted her lips, and she jerked her hand back.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"This could be your dragon, Eli," said Cesrik. "It would hurt her, and the Weyr, if you didn't stand to Impress her. You'd make a fine Weyrwoman."

"Zareth didn't seem to think so." She couldn't hide the note of bitterness that crept into her voice.

"Zareth may not have chosen you, but that doesn't mean another dragonet won't," said Cesrik. "Promise me you'll try?" Shaking her head, Elienya turned and wandered among the other eggs. She ran her hand along mottled shells, some with odd shapes on the hide – probably bronzes – and others with swirls of blue or green. It struck her, as she placed her hand on a slightly smaller egg than the rest, that she'd forgotten something in her desire to Impress the queen. Girls could Impress greens, too.

In her arrogance, she hadn't even given the greens another thought, and hadn't touched any of the other eggs. What if her dragon had been in a different egg and she hadn't known it? What if she hadn't even given her a chance?

Besides, it would benefit the Weyr to ride a green. She may not be a Weyrwoman, but she would be able to fight Thread. Perhaps she could even lead her own wing. As far as she knew from her research, bronzes were typically Wingleaders, but she would challenge custom the way she always had. Yes, a green would suit her well.

Smiling to herself, Elienya turned. "I'll stand as a candidate."


	12. The Teaching Ballad

She hurried to find T'van and accept his offer, and when she did, he placed a hand on her shoulder with a devious smile.

"I knew you'd come around," he said. "C'zenen will be glad to have you back."

She smiled wryly. "I doubt that." Once she left him and tended to her firelizards, bathing them in the lake in the Weyrbowl and oiling them until their green and blue hides shone, she transported her things from the Healer Hall to the candidate's alcoves. When she walked inside, there were three girls huddled around the writing table, speaking in low whispers.

"…you write it all down correctly?" one asked.

"I think so," the other girl whispered back, sounding plaintive. "There's so much to remember!"

"That's why we're writing it down, dimglow."

Elienya set her satchel on one of the beds and placed a hand on her sling. Ging lifted her head and gazed curiously at the girls, but Peyt bared his teeth and placed a possessive wing around his sister, ever the knight in shining armor.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

The girls jumped and turned, guilt momentarily clouding their features. Elienya frowned and attempted to step closer, but one of the girls, a pretty dark-haired girl with bright blue eyes, stepped into her path.

"It's none of your business," she said with an imperious tilt of her chin. "Who are you?"

"Elienya of Benden Weyr." She held out her hand, but the girl merely stared at it contemptuously.

"I'm Ariana, daughter of Lord Holder Kenon of Lemos Hold," she said. "These are Vestia and Hena, also of Lemos Hold." The other girls curtsied, showing their status as either minor holders or servant girls.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Quite," said Ariana in a tone that said anything but. "Now, if you'll excuse us." She turned her back on Elienya and bent back over the parchment the girls had been studying, a very clear dismissal. As she began to unpack her belongings into the trunk at the foot of her bed, Elienya missed Pennoly, Cesrik, and Eryn with a passion. The other girls had been friendly and open, and they'd quickly formed a bond that had outlasted their candidacy. It was obvious she wouldn't have the same luck with this group of girls.

She removed the sling and let Peyt and Ging wander around the cot, getting used to their new quarters. After a moment, there was a slight knock on the alcove door, and all of the girls turned.

"Come in," called Ariana with ingrained authority.

Deilen poked his head into the doorway with a polite smile. "Pardon me, but is Elienya—" He stopped, his pale green eyes alighting on Elienya. They brightened. "I knew it! I knew you'd been Searched!" He bounded forward, placed his hands on her waist, and hoisted her into the air. Her hands went to his shoulders as he twirled her in a circle, his laughter filling the air. She tried not to squeal, color suffusing her cheeks. He let her down gently, and her blush grew as she slid down the front of his body, uncomfortably aware of the tight muscle packed beneath his tunic and breeches. His hands lingered on her hips when he released her, a silent question in his green eyes.

Elienya dropped her hands quickly and stepped away. Her heart drummed an unsteady beat in her chest, turning her palms clammy with sweat. She'd never felt so nervous around Deilen before. "Were you Searched?" she asked to fill the awkward silence.

"Yes! Oh, and before I forget, I have something for you." He reached behind him and drew a flower out of his back pocket. It was a beautiful blossom, shaped like a star with a bright purple center and pedals the color of blood, with a single silver line down the center. "I found it in the Southern Continent, and it made me think of you. I was saving it for a special occasion."

She accepted the flower and buried her nose, inhaling the sticky sweet scent. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She gazed up at him through her lashes, admiring the curve of his lips before quickly dropping her eyes.

"You're welcome." His lips curved into a grin as if he'd noticed her attention. Before silence could descend once more, Candidatemaster C'zenen appeared and took the candidates to the Weyrbowl for their chores. When they helped in the infirmary, Ariana fainted at the first sight of the horrible burn marks and disfiguring scars of the dragonriders, and had to be revived by Master Healer Jesslyn. Snickers followed her as she was carried to a cot, but Candidatemaster C'zenen quickly silenced them.

Then, Candidatemaster C'zenen gave them a quick tour of the Weyr, and finished by taking them to see the clutch. This time, Elienya made sure to give special attention to each egg, since there was a much higher chance of Impressing a green than there was a gold. She noticed Ariana lingering near the queen egg and scowling at anyone who drew near. Shaking her head, Elienya wondered if she had been that bad when she wanted to Impress the queen, and found she couldn't fault the other girl for her ambition. Deilen followed at her heels, chattering animatedly and excitedly about which egg he liked the best, and placing bets on which he thought would hatch what colored dragon.

The following morning, Elienya woke at dawn, bathed, changed, and walked out to bathe her firelizards. When she got to the Weyrbowl, she found the other Weyrlings bathing their dragon as well, and went to join Eryn, Pennoly, and Cesrik. She told them about the Lord Holder's daughter – "she sounds like a real treat," said Pennoly, while the mild-mannered Eryn smiled and said, "she's probably just nervous" – and the clutch, saying the number had nearly doubled from the last clutch. It hinted to the evidence of Thread, to which Cesrik whole heartedly agreed, Eryn accepted with a thoughtful nod, and Pennoly rolled her eyes. The girls listened while they oiled Lopith, Cerk, and Zareth, attacking particularly rough patches of hide. Elienya worked the oil into Ging's pretty, jade green scales until they shone, then took her time massaging Peyt's blue body. Both firelizards purred happily and curled in the sun once she'd finished.

 _One sevenday later…_

After dinner, Elienya and Deilen spent the evening perusing the hidden rooms in the lower caverns for more information on Thread. Given their busy days – Elienya studied under Master Healer Jesslyn when she wasn't completing her candidate chores, and Deilen had his hands full at the Harper Hall and candidate duties – it had been a few days since they'd been able to search, and it had proven less than fruitful.

Elienya sat at a writing desk and flipped through old, weather parchment, the edges crinkled with age. Peyt perched on her shoulder, tail wrapped around her neck, and peered curiously at the parchment. Ging nudged her hand repeatedly until she relented and stroked the little green's eyeridges with a laugh. Deilen's two firelizards – bronze Orin and green Lily – were curled in balls on a shelf, snoring soundly.

Her eyes widened at an old song she'd found. "Listen to this!"

 _"Gone away, gone ahead,  
Echoes away, gone unansweréd._ _  
_ _Empty, open, dusty, dead._ _  
_ _Why have all the Weyrfolk fled?_

 _Where have dragons gone together?  
Leaving Weyrs to wind and weather?  
Setting heardbeasts free of tether?  
Gone, our safeguards, gone, but whither?_

 _Have they flown to some new Weyr  
Where cruel Thread some others fear?  
Are they worlds away from here?  
Why, oh, why, the empty Weyr?"_

Deilen frowned. He leaned over her shoulder to view the parchment, close enough his warm breath tickled the back of her neck. A shudder raised down her spine, and her heart galloped through her chest. She became acutely aware of the space between them, and became filled with a strange desire to close it, to lean back and press her back to his chest. A blush suffused her cheeks, and she ducked her head, grateful he couldn't see.

"I've never seen this teaching ballad before. What does it mean?" he asked.

"Apparently, towards the end of the eighth Pass, a number of Weyrs were abandoned, leaving only Benden Weyr behind."

Deilen jerked back. "Impossible. Where did all the dragons go?"

"I think I have an idea, but…" Elienya couldn't take her eyes off one passage in particular. " _Gone away, gone ahead…"_ Could it be the proof she needed that dragons could jump _between_ times as well as places? It could be one possible explanation, that the Weyrs jumped forward in time for whatever reason. A dizzying sense came over her, and she leaned back in her chair. Master Herdsmen Terren had said she'd learned that dragons could jump _between_ times. What if that was this moment? It felt strange, as if she'd somehow twisted time and logic to come to this conclusion, leading herself down the very path she'd been meant to travel all along.

Voices drifted to them from outside the door, and they paused. No one ventured this far into the lower caverns, which meant typically they were alone. Deilen and Elienya shared a glance, and Elienya rose from her chair. When she walked to the door, Peyt balanced on her shoulder, she spotted Ariana, Vestia, and Hena wandering through the tunnel. Their hushed conversation raised goosebumps on her arms.

"…where's the store room?" asked Ariana irritably. "You said it should be here." They consulted a shared parchment between them, heads bobbing up and down.

"I don't know, my lady," said Vestia fretfully. She had the wide eyes of a doe, giving her a constantly startled look as if she might spring into flight at any moment. Her fingers twitched on the paper, and she kept shuffling her feet as if restless energy kept her from being able to stand still.

"Well, find it," she snapped, "we don't have all day. We need to be back to the barracks before lights out or Candidatemaster C'zenen will question where we've been."

"We'll find the evidence we need, Ariana," said Hena soothingly. She had a calm, peaceful air about her, no doubt tempering Ariana's volatile mood.

"Of course, we will. There's no way the Weyr needs as much of the tithe as they demand. They're tricking the Holds, and I know we'll find what we need while we're here."

Elienya arched a brow and stepped into the tunnel. "What are you looking for?"

The girls froze, and for a moment fear seemed to flash across Ariana's face. She mastered herself quickly and stepped forward, placing her hands on her hips with a haughty huff. "I believe we've over this before, Weyrbrat. It's none of your business. As far as I know, it isn't a crime to explore, is it?"

Elienya strolled forward. "I might be able to help."

"We don't need your help—"

Quick as a striking snake, Elienya snatched the piece of parchment from their hands. Ariana snatched at it with a scowl, but she danced out of reach. When Ariana advanced on her, Peyt flared his wings and hissed in warning and she drew back in clear hesitation. Elienya scanned the parchment, and her brows rose. It was a map of the Weyr, with various _X'_ s marked at certain spots.

"What's this?"

Ariana remained tight lipped and silent. Their manner unsettled her. If it had been a simple map to help acquaint themselves with the Weyr, that would be one thing. But it seemed as if they were searching for something in particular, and by the sound of it, it didn't bode well for the Weyr. On impulse, Elienya tore the piece of parchment down the middle, then again, until it was nothing but scraps. Ariana's face screwed into a glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Protecting my Weyr," said Elienya with a firm look. "If you think I'm going to stand by and let you interfere, you're sorely mistaken."

Ariana's lips pinched, and once again, the guilt she'd seen earlier settled in her pretty blue eyes. She seemed about to say something, but thought better of it and turned on her heels. "Let's go, girls." She marched from the tunnel, and Vestia and Hena followed in her wake with quick curtsies to Elienya and Deilen.

Elienya watched them leave with a troubled frown.

Deilen stepped to her side and whistled. "She's a spirited one, isn't she?"

"That's one word for it," she grumbled. "What do you think they're after?"

"It sounds like they're trying to discredit the Weyr. It's a good thing you're they're roommate. You can keep an eye on them."

"That's precisely what I mean to do," said Elienya. "Come on, it's getting late."


	13. The Junior Queen

The following morning, Elienya rose at dawn to complete her chores. She started by bathing and oiling Ging and Peyt. Ging had grown to love her daily baths, and chided Elienya irritably until she completed the task. Peyt waited, quiet and polite, until she bathed him, and she gave him a kiss on top of his head for his patience. After that, she mucked out the stalls in the stables, and went to help in the kitchens. Her stomach growled, and she paused for _klah_ and porridge on the way. She grabbed a platter of wherry meat for the firelizards.

Cesrik walked in a short time later, stretching her arms overhead and yawning. She had Zan cradled in her arms, the brown dosing with his inner eyelids drooping. Elienya waved at her, and Cesrik walked over.

"Good morning," said Cesrik, stealing a few scraps of wherry meat to feed to Zan. Ging chirped indignantly and tried to snatch it back, but Elienya swatted her on the head and she subsided. She whined and mewled until Elienya gave in and fed her, Peyt moving protectively between his sister and Zan.

"Morning," said Elienya. "We found something in the lower caverns." She told Cesrik about the teaching ballad, and her friend's eyes widened.

"What do you think it means?"

"Truthfully? I think it means the Weyrs jumped forward in time, or perhaps back in time. I think it's the proof we need dragons can go _between_ times." She hesitated as Cesrik nodded, completely at ease with the new, startling information. "Do you really believe Terren, Cesrik?"

"Of course, I do." Cesrik grabbed a berry from Elienya's porridge and popped it into her mouth with a pleased expression. "How else would Terren have ended up on the Southern Continent with the supplies we so desparately needed? It was a stroke of genius on your part, Eli."

Elienya took a spoonful of porridge and chewed thoughtfully. "It makes sense, but…"

"But?" prompted Cesrik.

"I don't know. It's hard to believe something I haven't seen with my own eyes."

Cesrik's eyes twinkled. "Once we start training to go _between…_ " She winked conspiratorially. "You'll have the proof you need."

Elienya took another bite of porridge. "We?"

"Yes, we! You're going to Impress at this hatching, Eli. I just know it." As if her words had been omen, a deep, throbbing hum drifted through the kithens. It startled Ging and Peyt. Swuawking, Ging clamored up onto Elienya's shoulder and hid in her hair, while Peyt lifted up on his haunches and tilted his head to the side. Then, to her surprise, the firelizards joined in the hum, their eyes whirling with excitement.

Cesrik grabbed her arm with an exultant grin. "It's the hatching, Eli! It's time!"

Dread settled in the pit of Elienya's stomach, turning her breakfast sour. She pushed the bowl of porridge away, feeling ill. Despite Cesrik's confident words, she couldn't help the beast of doubt from nagging at the back of her mind. What if she failed to Impress? She didn't think she'd have the heart to try again. This would be her second, and final, hatching. If she didn't Impress, she'd give up and become a Weyrhealer. With these gloomy thoughts to comfort her, Elienya rose and walked to the candidate barracks with Cesrik at her side.

"I'll see you afterwards," said Cesrik. She kissed Elienya's cheek, squeezed her hand, and left.

Elienya changed into her white robe, and Ariana and her girls walked in as she'd dragged the white cotton over her head. Glaring at Elienya, Ariana changed into the robe with the help of Vestia and Hena – her handmaidens, then – and ran a brush through her fine brown hair.

"I doubt the dragonets will care what you look like, Ariana," said Elienya.

Ariana ignored her. Uncertain how Benelith would feel about firelizards near her clutch, Elienya left Ging and Peyt on her cot in the candidate barracks. She met Deilen in the hallway, unable to share his excited grin. Candidatemaster C'zenen roused the other candidates with barked orders to change and walk to the Hatching Cavern in an orderly procession.

"It's time," said Deilen, falling into step beside her. The sea of white robed candidates made their way through the lower caverns towards the Weyrbowl.

Elienya sighed. "You sound like Cesrik."

"Come on." Deilen nudged her shoulder with his, sending a prickle of awareness shooting throughout her entire body. "Aren't you a little bit excited?"

"No," she said. She dragged her steps across the Weyrbowl to the Hatching Cavern, walking at the end of the group, but Deilen placed a hand on her lower back and urged her forward. Elienya's focus narrowed to the heat of his palm on her skin, and how dangerously close he was to her buttock. _What if he slid his hand a little lower?_ Blushing furiously, Elienya shook her head and banished such thoughts from her mind. _Cesrik must've rubbed off on me,_ she thought in amusement.

Elienya walked into the stifling warmth of the Hatching Cavern, and it felt like walking into a solid wall of heat. She grimaced, tongues of flame already licking through the soles of her thick wherhide boots, and walked forward with Deilen. He stopped her with a hand on her arm before she could join the ring of girls around the queen egg.

"You can do this, Elienya," he said with a small, intimate smile. "I believe in you."

Elienya couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks. "Thanks. You too," she added belatedly. His smile broadened, and he went to join the male candidates, while Elienya walked to the females. She bowed to Benelith as she passed, and the queen murmured her approval. Sweat pooled on her lower back and on her upper lipe, and she swiped it away.

As her eyes roamed over the queen egg, Elienya recalled her earlier realization. She would be grateful for whatever dragonet wanted to bond with her, she reminded herself. It didn't have to be the queen. She silenced the inner voice whispering she deserved the queen, that she'd ride the queen, and let her eyes stray to the other eggs. It was far more likely to Impress a green. Still, she kept the thought – _I'll be grateful for any dragon_ – firmly in her thoughts as the hatching commenced.

The other girls had various expressions of awe, bewilderment, trepidation, and excitement on their faces, and more than a few looked prepared to faint. Ariana stood slightly closer to the queen egg than the rest, confidence squaring her shoulders and tilting her chin high. Vestia and Hena stood behind her, their hands clasped demurely at her waist, although Vestia continually shifted and fidgeted in her restless way.

Dragonriders filled into the tiers above the Hatching Cavern, and the hum of the dragons grew louder as they perched on stone ledges to view the spectacle. Benelith's humming drowned out the rest, her head swaying from side to side over her eggs as she prepared to welcome them into the world. The watching audience, and the candidates, held their breath as tremors passed through the eggs like a stray breeze. The hum reached a fever pitch that vibrated through Elienya's entire body. Twitching and lurching, a small claw poked through one of the eggs, and it splintered and fell apart.

Humming ceased and silence fell as the blue dragonet emerged, dripping with egg goo. It squawked and stumbled forward, giving a shake of its head before staggering towards the waiting boys. Cheers erupted from the crowd, followed by speculative murmurs as another egg cracked to reveal a bronze. The regal creature waddled towards the boys with obvious purpose, it's eyes fixed on one boy in particular. Elienya tried to see Deilen, but he was hidden by the cluster of white clad bodies.

Cracks spread through two more eggs before the dragonets emerged, revealing two greens. One of the greens shuffled towards the boys, its slimy tail dragging through the sand, but after a moment of consideration the other green turned and waddled towards the girls. With a chirp of delight, she walked up to Vestia and butted her on the back. Nearly pitching onto the sand, Vestia turned in surprise, her wide eyes connecting with the rainbow hue of the dragonet. Adoration and awe painted her plain features in a beautiful mask.

"Belith," she murmured. "Her name's Belith." While Belith crooned and nuzzled Vestia's hand, a drudge ran forward with a bowl of food for Vestia. Ariana hardly spared the girl a glance, her attention riveted on the queen egg.

Then, the queen egg began to quake, shards of egg shell fluttering to the sands. Benelith crooned and nudged the little egg with her snout, eyes whirling a happy blue. It gave another quiver, crack, and split down the center, spilling the queen onto the sands. Shaking its head, the queen rose on unsteady legs and swung her head towards the candidates, eyes whirling with consideration. She took an unsteady step forward, but her wing tangled in her foreclaw and she toppled to the ground with a squawk.

Instantly, Ariana hurried forward to assist the fallen queen, and Elienya turned away. Although she'd contented herself with the thought of a green, she couldn't bear to watch the little queen Impress the arrogant Ariana. As she did, she noticed a green wandering among the group of boys. After deciding hers wasn't among them, she turned and walked towards the girls. Their eyes connected across the space, and the little dragonet cocked its head to the side. Elianya smiled, projecting feelings of comfort and happiness to the little green. With a squeak, the green made its way towards her, eyes whirling.

Gold flashed from the corner of Elienya's eye. The queen dragonet threw herself between Elienya and the green dragonet. She splayed her wings and gave a territorial hiss. Cowering before her queen, the green scrambled out of her path towards the other girls. Huffing in satisfaction, the queen turned to Elienya and gazed up at her with eyes the color of a vibrant rainbow.

 _I am Toth,_ she said in the most beautiful voice in all Pern, _and you are mine._

For a moment, Elienya could only stare, her mind numb with shock. _Toth._ The dragonet's name was Toth. Had she just Impressed the queen? After all her dreams, after her disappointment at the previous hatching and utter despair, she couldn't believe it. She'd Impressed the queen. A grin broke out across her face, and she reached out to stroke Toth's slimy hide. The queen purred and leaned into the touch, wings rustling.

She hadn't realized she'd been missing something until she Impressed Toth. The queen gave her unconditional love the likes of which she'd never experienced before, and she became whole, and complete, in a way she never believed possible. Although it had happened mere seconds ago, Elienya couldn't imagine a life without Toth in it, and understood she hadn't Impressed Zareth at the previous hatching because she'd been waiting for Toth, and Toth had been waiting for her.

Blinking back tears, she threw her arms around Toth's head and cradled the queen dragonet to her chest. Toth snorted and pulled back, her tail shifting through the sands.

 _I love you,_ said the queen, _but I am quite hungry. You will feed me, now._

Laughing at the imperious tone, she turned to see a drudge hurrying forward. She accepted the bowl of meat and began to feed her beautiful dragonet, making sure the queen didn't gorge herself and choke. Once she'd finished the first bowl, she called for another, and another. Toth tore through four full bowls of meat, and began to slow by the fifth, and Elienya finally cut her off.


	14. The Hatching Feast

The hatching progressed quickly after that, and within minutes all thirty-eight dragonets stood with their riders. She lifted her head and glanced at the other girls. A few stood with their shoulders drooping and heads lowered, despondent at not Impressing the queen, but others attended to green dragonets. To her surprise, Ariana beamed down at a little emerald colored dragonet, opening her wings to dry them. The little green dragonet gazed up at her as if she'd hung the stars in the sky, and Elienya hoped the dragonet would soften Ariana and endear her to the Weyr. Hena had impressed as well, the green gobbling down bowls of meat with ravenous hunger.

After she'd eaten her fill, Elienya lead Toth towards the Weyrlingmaster, who stood near the exit of the Hatching Cavern. Candidatemaster C'zenen lead the remaining candidates out the way they'd come in, their eyes darting enviously to the new Weyrlings.

"I'm Terina, rider of greenYeith, and I'll be your Weyrlingmaster," said the woman. She had a darker complexion, with black hair tied into a braid and fierce amber colored eyes. Her arms were crossed over her chest in a no-nonsense way, and her features were set into stern lines. "We'll begin your formal training tomorrow. For now, we need to get your dragonets to their new quarters before they fall asleep on the sands. Your things have already been moved." She led the new Weyrlings to the Weyrling barracks. Toth's eyelids began to droop, and she stumbled more than once, forcing Elienya to steer her away from the walls and place a steadying hand on her shoulder.

While the other Weyrlings went to shared barracks, Weyrlingmaster Terina took Elienya to the Weyrwoman's barracks. She was pleased to see her room was right next to Cesrik's. Her satchel of belongings lay on her cot, with Peyt and Ging sitting beside it. Ging warbled an admonition and flew over to greet her, peering curiously at the little queen by her side. Toth ignored the firelizard, too exhausted to acknowledge her. Ging hissed as if she considered it a personal insult, and landed on Elienya's shoulder. Peyt merely watched from the bed with curious eyes, complacent as ever.

She half-carried Toth to the stone couch, the dragonet's breathing heavy with fatigue, and settled her there. She sat on the edge of the couch and simple stared at Toth, taking in the sight of her beautiful, wonderful dragon. The reality of the situation settled in on her, and she couldn't stop a smile from stretching her cheeks.

She'd Impressed the queen. She was a queenrider. Her dreams had come true.

She caressed Toth's eyeridges. Although she knew she had to attend the Hatching Feast, she was loath to leave the queen behind.

When she rose, Toth's eyes snapped open. _Where are you going?_

"There's a Hatching Feast, love."

 _I don't want you to leave._

Elienya's heart melted. "I'll be here when you wake up."

 _Do you promise?_

"I promise."

Toth accepted this with a snort, settled her snout on her forepaw, and fell asleep within seconds. Elienya linged for a few minutes longer, stroking the dragonet's eyeridges and luxuriating in the feel of her beneath her fingertips, before she rose and made her way to the kitchens. When she walked through the doorway, Cesrik launched herself at Elienya, nearly knocking her to the ground. Elienya laughed as Cesrik wrapped her arms around her and spun her in a circle, squealing the entire time. Zan soared around them in circles, sharing in the joy of his bonded.

"You Impressed the queen! I knew it, I knew you would! What's her name?"

"Toth," Elienya said, loving the way the name felt on her tongue. "Her name's Toth."

"She's a beauty! Zareth likes her, too. I think they're going to be fast friends."

"I hope so," she said, and meant it. Cesrik kept up a chatter of conversation as she led Elienya to the hearth. Their pace was halting, as dragonriders stopped her every few steps to introduce themselves and congratulate her. She noticed more than a few were bronzeriders probably eager to gain her favor. Finally, she arrived at the hearth, and spotted Eryn and Pennoly.

Eryn embraced Elienya with a smile. Her gold firelizard, Beauty, curled up beside the warmth of the hearth with Pennoly's brown, Axiel. Ging and Peyt went to join them, soaking up the heat of the fire.

"Congratulations, Elienya!" said Eryn.

"Congratulations," added Pennoly with a bored expression.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Her name's Toth."

"A beautiful name," said Eryn with a bashful smile.

Then, Elienya spotted the person she most wanted to share this moment with, aside from Cesrik. Deilen lingered on the other side of the room, his head bowed and shoulders tense. The smile fell from Elienya's face. What if he hadn't Impressed? The thought hadn't occurred to her before. Excusing herself from the girls – "I'll be right back." – she made her way across the cavern. As if feeling the weight of her gaze, Deilen lifted his head. Their eyes connected and held, lingering past the point of familiarity into something deeper, more intimate. A flush crawled up the back of Elienya's neck, but she couldn't seem to look away. He was all she could see.

She stopped before him. "Hi," she said, feeling unexpectedly shy.

"Hi," he said, sounding glum. "Congragulations on Impressing the queen."

"Thank you. Her name's Toth." Deilen nodded, looking distracted by his thoughts. "What's wrong? Did you…did you Impress?" She held her breath, but Deilen – D'len – nodded and she let it ou in a rush. "Oh, that's wonderful! Congragulations!" She debated embracing him, but felt strangely reluctant to do so. Instead, she placed a gentle hand on his sleeve and gaze it a squeeze. Even that mild contact sent her heart stuttering in her chest.

D'len finally broke eye contact, and Elienya felt strangely empty without it. "I Impressed blue Ireth," he said, and his voice broke.

"I don't understand," said Elienya. "You should be ecstatic. What's wrong?"

D'len couldn't meet her eyes as he said, "Blues don't fly queens."

Elienya's breath caught. She lowered her gaze, but didn't remove her hand from his arm. Her fingers tightened around the material of his sleeve. "Well, I know you're…hold bred, but we don't have the…same standards in the Weyr," she murmured haltingly. "Even though…even though Toth will rise and a bronze will catch her…his rider doesn't have to be my…my Weyrmate."

D'len glanced back at her, his expression guarded. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Elienya drew in a deep breath. "I'm saying…will you dance with me?"

Eyes shining with hope, D'len offered her his hand. She let him take it, and followed him towards the Weyrharpers who'd taken residence in one corner of the room. Dragonriders danced in pairs, swaying to the simple, smooth rhythm of the song. Flutes fluttered lazily, and the drums created a somber beat. D'len squeezed her hand and drew her into the circle of his arms, placing one hand on her hip. Elienya let herself lean against him and wound her arm around his neck.

Their bodies twined together as D'len drew into a simple, swaying step.

"Do I need to remind you," said Elienya, sounding breathless, "that relationships are forbidden between Weyrlings? We need to focus on our dragonets."

"I heard those were more guidelines than rules," D'len murmured in a husky voice that made Elienya's mouth dry.

"We'll…we'll have to be subtle," she whispered.

D'len's eyes twinkled. He lifted his arm and spun her before drawing her back in, his hand moving to her lower back. Elienya's blood caught fire and burned through her, making her loins ache.

"Are you saying you want to be in a relationship with me?"

Elienya lowered her eyes to his chest, admiring the flash of collarbone beneath the collar of his tunic. "Yes," she whispered, hardly daring to breath.

After an agonizing moment, he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I want to be with you, too." She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his lips, enjoying the feeling of her breath against her skin. They stayed like that, swaying back and forth, lost in each other's arms, until the song ended. When they broke apart, D'len kept his hand on her lower back as he escorted her back to the other girls.


	15. The Junior Weyrwoman

Elienya's days became separated into two parts: the part when Toth slept, and the part when she woke. When she left, Elienya longed for her to wake, to see the soft regard of those loving eyes. When she did awake, Elienya tended to her with the diligence of a mother doting on her child, bathing and oiling her stretched, flaking hide until it glowed a healthy gold, and feeding her until her belly bulged. As Toth was too young to hunt for herself, Elienya killed, skinned, and sliced the wherry meat along with the other Weyrlings, but she didn't mind the bloody task. If it meant Toth's happiness, she would kill a hundred wherries.

Currently, Elienya sat in the Weyr Council, reaching out occasionally to the bond with Toth, feeling the queen's sleeping mind. She dreamt of the Red Star, another indication Thread would soon fall.

Headwoman Veteny finished her report of the lower caverns. "I've hired a few more drudges from Bitra Hold, and paid for their service. We had another attack on a supply train –" V'neren scowled at that "—but we've been able to make up the difference with the food from the Southern Continent. We need more grinds to brew _klah_ , which I'll have to see if I can secure from one of the holds."

"Very well." V'neren rubbed his eyes, looking wearier than he had a few days ago. "Thank you, Veteny. B'rion," he said, addressing one of the Wingleaders, "what's the report on the rebels?"

"We've sent another message, sir, but we haven't heard anything back."

Elienya cocked her head to the side. "How do you know where to send the message?"

Clara's lips turned down in a sour frown. "You're a Weyrwoman in training, girl. You haven't earned the right to speak in the council."

Elienya met her stern stare with a challenging gaze but said nothing.

"We've managed to locate a few of their hideouts," said B'rion after V'neren nodded for him to continue. "But each time we deliver a message, the rebels know we've found them, pack up, and leave."

"If we know where they are," said Elienya, ignoring Clara's reproachful glare. "Why don't we send in a party to detain one of them? Surely, they'd be able to tell us the motivation behind the rebel group, and how to stop them."

"Very good suggestion, if you're hoping to incite an open war," said V'neren sarcastically with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We don't want to antagonize them further."

Elienya's lips thinned. V'neren was a coward, hiding behind the safety of the Weyr walls and disregarding it's decline. The supplies from the Southern Continent would last only so long before they were depleted until more herdbeasts could be sired and food grown, at the rate the Weyr consumed the much food. She might have to take matters into her own hands, the same way had to prepare the Weyr for thread.

"Send another message," said V'neren. "If there are no other matters to discuss—"

"Actually, Weyrleader, I have a suggestion," said Cesrik.

V'neren's face hardened. "What?"

"I propose we hold a Gather, sir."

"We shouldn't be worrying about frivolous Gathers when we must prepare for Thread," said Elienya. The others gave tolerant, wary looks, quite used to Elienya's staunch belief in her thread and constant pressure on the others to believe. She hid a glimmer of satisfaction at V'neren's glare.

"Not another word of Thread, girl." He turned to Cesrik. "Why would we hold a Gather, when we're short supplies as it is?"

"It would show the rebels we're not afraid of them, and would be a great show of force to dissuade them," she said. "Imagine if the rebels attended the Gather in disguise, and saw the might of all the Weyrwomen and Weyrleader gatheedr in one place! Plus, they'd do well to see the dragons and remind them we're not to be trifled with."

V'neren rubbed his beard, considering. "That's not a bad idea. It would be a fine intimidation tactic without outright antagonizing them. Headwoman Veteny." She bowed her head. "Check the wares to see if we can afford such an endeavor." Headwoman Veteny curtsies and left. Elienya and Cesrik shared a triumphant look across the table. It went exactly as they planned; Elienya distracted with her talk of Thread, drawing V'neren's ire, and making him more open to Cesrik's reasonable suggestions.

Gisella, Benelith's rider and Junior Weyrwoman, lifted her hand with a tentative look at Clara. "If I may—"

"Oh, do be quiet, girl," snapped the Weyrwoman. "No one cares what you think."

Gisella flushed. "It's important—"

"I said," said Clara with quiet menace, "be silent."

Gisella folded her hands in her lap and lowered her chin, hurt flashing across her features. Elienya studied the other girl with cunning consideration. Once V'neren had released them, she told Cesrik she would meet her in the kitchens for lunch and drew Gisella aside. After the others had left them alone in the tunnel, she placed a consoling hand on the sleeve of the girl's gown.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "Clara was unnecessarily harsh."

Gisella gave a long-suffering sigh. "She's been like that for quite a while."

"Why? What reason does she have to treat you in that manner?"

Gisella's hands fluttered nervously at her waist. "Two Turns ago," she said sourly, "Kyoth flew Benelith. Clara blamed me, and has held a grudge ever since."

"But that's not your fault! Everyone knows no one can account for the tastes of a dragon."

"If only Clara believed that," she said bitterly.

"I'm sorry. Would you like to join Cesrik and I for lunch?" It must be lonely for the other girl to contend with Clara's hostility and shoulder the responsibilities of a Junior Weyrwoman without any support.

Gisella's face brightened. "I'd like that very much." They walked to the kitchens together, sitting down with Cesrik to eat. Zan greeted them with a bugle from where he sat on the table, begging scraps from Cesrik. Since V'neren wouldn't tolerate the firelizards in the council meeting, Peyt winked out of _between_ to greet her with a chirp. She gathered him in her arms and scratched his eyeridge. Doubltess Ging would be dozing with Toth – she'd become as enamored of the queen as Elienya, choosing the gold's company more and more over her own.

While they chatted, Elienya happened to mention the most recent records they'd found in the lower caverns, studying Gisella's reaction from the corner of her eye. The Junior Weyrwoman responded with a flare of curiosity, a good sign.

"What records?" she asked.

"There are many unexplored rooms in the lower caverns, and we've managed to find quite a few," she said. "There are old records that were previously lost to us with some very interesting information. I've been trying to transcribe all of the records to maintain copies, but it's been difficult with tending to Toth and Weyrling training."

"I could help," said Gisella, "if you'd like."

Elienya smiled. "If you would, I'd greatly appreciate it." After they'd finished a lunch of wherry meat, tubers, and bubbly pies, Elienya walked with Gisella back to her Weyr. She took a handful of the old records – ones she'd already transcribed, but Gisella didn't need to know that – and handed them to the Junior Weyrwoman. She'd let her read them and see what conclusions she drew by herself. Hopefully, with careful prodding on Elienya's part, she'd come to the right assumption, that Thread would fall. Gisella accepted the records with a nod, promised to have them finished in a few days, and left.


	16. The Bronzerider

A few minutes later, Toth's tail twitched, and she roused slowly from sleep. Elienya skipped to the gold's side like a giddy, love sick girl and perched on the edge of the stone couch, running her hand over Toth's forepaw. The gold snuffled, half-awake, and opened her lidded eyes with drowsy blinks. She'd grown considerably since the hatching, taking up a third of the couch, and it had been a struggle to stay ahead of the cracked, itching hide. Ging curled in a ball on her snout, snoring peacefully.

 _Good morning,_ said Toth.

"Good morning, my love. How did you sleep?"

 _I did not sleep well,_ she admitted. _I had the most dreadful dreams._

"I'm sorry." Elienya rubbed Toth's eyeridge and the gold's eyes closed with pleasure. "It's because the Red Star draws closer and closer to dropping Thread, sweet one."

 _Is that why I see the Red Star in my dreams?_

"Yes."

Toth remained quiet and unmoving beneath her hand for a few minutes. _What will we do when it arrives?_

"We will fight," she said firmly. "As the ballad goes, we will rise to sear Thread from the sky with flame."

Toth opened her eyes and gazed up at Elienya in adoration. _You are strong. I believe you._

Elienya beamed. "Thank you. Are you hungry?"

 _Starving._ After grabbing a bucket of sweetsand and scrub brush from the Weyr, Elienya walked Toth to the Weyrbowl. The queen hadn't adjusted to her growing weight and height, making her movements graceless and awkward, the way a growing pup doesn't know its own strength. Weyrlings tended to their dragonets in the Weyrbowl, bathing or feeding them. Peyt perched on Elienya's shoulder, but Ging flew circles around Toth, chattering and scolding any dragonet or Weyrling that drew too close. The queen had her own royal escort.

She directed the queen into the Weyr lake.

 _But I'm so hungry,_ whined Toth. _Can't I eat first?_

"Once you eat, you'll fall back asleep, and I won't be able to carry you back to the Weyr," she chided. "We must bathe you first, my love."

Toth huffed. _Fine._ She waddled into the water, sending ripples and waves crashing against the shore. Elienya waded in after her. She dunked the brush into the sweet sand and began scrubbing at Toth's belly, smoothing the sand into her hide with firm circles. While she worked, another Weyrling approached, his bronze gleaming with a recent cleaning.

"Good morning, Elienya."

Elienya turned, sweet sand coating her forearms. The rider looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. He had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, but there was something strange about his eyes, a lack of emotion that chilled her. The smile felt disingenuous, but she forced herself to smile in response.

"Good morning. I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met, Weyrling—?"

"P'kaen," he said, "rider of Bronze Culioth."

"It's nice to meet you, P'kaen, Culioth."

 _It's nice to meet you, as well,_ said Culioth.

Toth hissed, displeased the bronze would address her rider directly.

Culioth's head bobbed. _I'm sorry, my queen. It's a pleasure to meet you as well,_ he said misinterpreting her disdain. _How are you this fine morning?_

Toth's mood lightened considerably. _I'm better now._

Elienya gaped at the queen. _Are you flirting?_ she demanded silently.

 _Why not? He's a handsome bronze,_ said Toth. Culioth's eyes whirled, and Elienya realized she'd included Culioth in the compliment.

 _And you are a beautiful gold,_ he said.

 _Yes, I am._

At that, she considered P'kaen with fresh eyes. Would he make a good Junior Weyrleader? Although the thought of betraying D'len pained her, she had her duty to the Weyr to uphold, which included finding a suitable leader.

"It's nice to meet you as well," said P'kaen. "How are you and Toth?"

"We're fine," she said. "We just came from a Weyr Council meeting, actually."

P'kaen's eyes gleamed with interest. "How did that go?"

He was ambitious, a good attribute in a bronzerider. "It went decently well," she said. "There was another attack on a supply train, but we're doing well, and we might hold a Gather."

"A Gather? What an interesting choice! Why?"

"To present a unified front to the rebels."

"Ah." P'kaen's brows drew together. "If it were me, I'd track the rebels down and kill them all for their insolence." Elienya tried to keep the surprise from her face. Perhaps a little too rash for her taste, but she could use that if she needed. He turned to Toth and Culioth. "They made quite a handsome pair, don't they?"

Elienya began cleaning Toth again. "They do," she admitted.

"Well, I hope you'll consider me when you make your decision," he said. "I know I'd make a fine Weyrleader." Ambitious, rash, and arrogant. She could certainly manipulate those qualities to her purpose.

"I'll consider it," she said, and meant it.

With a roguish grin, P'kaen turned and walked towards the herdbeast pen with Culioth behind him.

 _I don't care for his rider, but I like Culioth._

"Why don't you like P'kaen?" she asked.

 _He looks at you like you're an object,_ said the queen angrily.

"I suppose he does," mused Elienya. "But don't forget, dear, that's an advantage."

 _How?_

"An object doesn't have thoughts of their own, or ambition," she said with a sweet smile. "He won't expect me to use him the same way he plans to use me."

Toth rumbled, the draconic equivalent of laughter. _I approve._

"I thought so."

At that moment, D'len and Ireth appeared from the Weyr and walked towards them.

"Hi," said D'len with a small, happy smile meant only for her. It warmed Elienya's heart.

"Hi," she said.

 _Hello, Toth,_ said Ireth. Toth ignored him.

Elienya swatted the queen's belly. "Be nice," she said out loud for D'len's sake.

 _He's a blue,_ said Toth as if it were the most obvious answer in all Pern.

Elienya's lips turned down in a disapproving frown. "What a snob you are."

Toth snorted and closed her eyelids, luxuriating in the warmth of Rukbat's rays. D'len moved into the water beside her, surreptitiously stroking his fingers down her forearm as he brushed past her. A shiver raced down her spine, and heat flooded her cheeks. He borrowed sweet sand from her bucket and began to brush Ireth, who ruffled his wings and submerged himself in the water.

"How did the Weyr council go?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

"Better than expected," she said. "It seems the Gather will happen, and I might have an ally in Gisella."

"Oh?"

"I gave her the records to transcribe about Thread, and I'm hoping she'll come to the same conclusion we have."

"Brilliant," said D'len with a laugh. "You're positively devious, dear."

"Thank you."

"I finished the songs," he said, and Elienya's heart warmed further. Since the hatching, D'len had been working on crafting ballads to capture everything from their initial meeting, to the journey to the Southern Continent, to the hatching of Ireth and Toth. "Would you like to hear it?"

"I'd love to."

"I'll play for you tonight. When should we meet?"

"After dinner," she said. "We can explore the lower caverns."

"Good." He nodded. They talked easily about other matters – the surprising difficulty of Weyrling training, Terina's stern demand for perfection, the way they had to craft riding straps from leather themselves, as well as the other Weyrlings – and Elienya didn't know why, but she kept her interaction with P'kaen to herself. She didn't want to make him jealous or worry needlessly. The pair finished bathing and oiling their dragonets, then fed them. As Elienya walked Toth back to the Weyr, she felt a bit of disappointment. The queen's eyes were already starting to droop shut, stumbling forward on sleep heavy legs. She barely managed to usher the dragonet onto the stone couch, her stomach full, before she dropped to sleep with deep, heavy breaths.

Elienya rested her cheek on Toth's warm snout and closed her eyes, enjoying the presence of her queen by her side.


	17. The Blackmail

Later that evening, Elienya fed, bathed, and oiled Toth once more. Once the queen snored soundly on her couch, Ging nestled into her warm belly, Elienya slipped out of the Weyr. Peyt, the loyal blue, perched on her shoulder with his tail wrapped around her neck. She stopped by the kitchens to grab _klah_ – it promised to be a long night, Rukbat haven already disappeared below the horizon hours ago – and a plate of sweet buns before walking to the lower caverns. Since the Hatching, Elienya and D'len had been meeting in the lower cavern in secret to carry out their tryst. It had proven a bit distracting, since they didn't get much searching of records done, but it provided them a few hours of peace and quiet, able to enjoy one another's company without fear of being caught.

She'd beaten D'len to the room, and decided to investigate before he arrived. Peyt hopped from her shoulder and fluttered to a nearby chair, curling himself into a ball with a pleased huff. Elienya ran her fingers along the records, her eyes skimming the titles. The records contained all sorts of useful information and technology long lost to them. Apparently, there were devices that allowed a person to see a faraway object up close, the way a dragon could see great distances ahead. Similarly, there was a machine that could produce parchment impervious to the natural elements, preserving it for centuries. Elienya longed to bring her findings before the Weyr Council to pursue, but she needed more allies first. If V'neren learned what she did with her evenings, she had a feeling he would ban her from the lower caverns out of sheer spite.

After a few minutes, D'len slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. Orin perched on his shoulder, ruffling his wings, but Lily chirped and soared over to curl up beside Peyt with a coy warble. Peyt opened one eye and crooned in response, but he didn't seem overly interested in the enthusiastic green. Elienya frowned. The poor dear.

D'len slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against his chest and placed her hands over his, her pulse humming in her veins. "Good evening," he said, and kissed the side of her neck. Heat traveled along Elienya's skin, awareness making her skin tingle.

"Good evening."

"Did you have any trouble slipping away?"

"None. You?"

"None. I have no idea what the other Weyrlings think about me leaving every night, but so far no one's commented on it."

"Good." She turned in the circle of his arms and wrapped her hands around his neck, gazing up at him through her lashes. His breath caught – he loved it when she did that – and he bent his head to hers, brushing his lips lightly across hers. But Elienya didn't want his sweet, gentle touch. She wanted more. She wanted to drive him mad with desire. She wanted to dominate his thoughts. Knotting her fingers in his hair, Elienya crushed their lips together, her lips moving in a hungry rhythm. D'len responded instantly, his hands sliding down her ribcage to land on her hips. It send sparks of warmth dancing along her skin, and heat seared the space between her legs. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he parted his, their tongues sliding together. She loved the taste of him, the feel of him. She didn't think she'd ever grow bored of feeling their bodies pressed together, of his heartbeat against her chest. She bit down hard on his lower lip and D'len moaned, his fingers tightening on her hips in the most delicious way.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Elienya and D'len sprang apart like startled hares. Elienya whirled towards the door with wide eyes. They'd been so engrossed in one another they hadn't heard the door slide open. Ariana stood silhouetted by the glow baskets in the hall, her arms folded over her chest and a smug look in her blue eyes.

Elienya blushed. "It's not what it looks like—"

"Oh really? Because it looked to me like you had your tongue rammed down his throat."

She sucked in a breath, and D'len rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Please, Ariana, don't say anything." Although she doubted the punishment would be severe – Faranth knew Cesrik had been caught with lovers enough times to tell her that – but she knew V'neren would force her and D'len to separate and keep them apart. It had happened with all Cesrik's lovers, and she'd had to cut ties with them. She didn't want to lose D'len.

"You know," mused Ariana, "I grow tired of the Weyrling barracks. I hate having to share quarters with other girls. It would be much more agreeable to have a Weyr to myself." Anger forced Elienya's fingers into fists. Blackmail. Ariana meant to blackmail her into keeping her secret. Still, it was a small price to pay to keep D'len.

"Fine," she bit out. "You can have the queen's Weyr."

D'len looked pained. "Elienya, you don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do." Elienya took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm doing it for us." He nodded, still looking torn.

"Perfect. Now, if you'll be a dear and move your things to the Weyrling's barracks—"

"No, I'll stay with Cesrik," said Elienya.

Ariana blinked innocently. "But where will Toth sleep?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sagith will move into the queen's Weyr, of course."

Elienya's jaw clenched. "No. She won't have enough room in the Weyrling barracks. I don't care what you do to me, but I won't let you interfere with Toth. Besides, the other Weyrlings will be suspicious if Toth suddenly decides to stay with them."

"You can say she decided to acquaint herself with her peers," said Ariana with a flick of her wrist.

"No."

"Oh dear, I wonder what would happen if Weyrlingmaster Terina learned of your little secret?"

"I'll do all of your Weyrling chores if Toth stays in the queen's Weyr," said Elienya.

"I'll help," said D'len.

Ariana's eyes gleamed. "You certainly drive a hard bargain."

"What else do you want?"

"I want you to serve me," said Ariana. "I want the illustrious Junior Weyrwoman to wait on me hand and foot."

"Fine," said Elienya.

D'len winced. "Elienya—"

"Good girl." Ariana smiled a devious smile. "Now, if you please, I'd like to go to bed soon." Elienya bid D'len good night – he looked wretched and apologized profusely for their predicament, blaming himself for being caught – and silenced his guilt with a soft kiss. After she left him, she went to the queen's Weyr and packed her things into a satchel. Peyt sat on the bed and watched her work, yawning occasionally.

Toth roused, disturbed by her volatile emotions. _What's wrong_?

"Nothing, dear one," she murmured. "Go back to sleep."

 _No. Tell me what's bothering you._

Sighing, Elienya explained what had happened and how Ariana would be sleeping in the Weyr with her.

Toth lifted her head, eyes whirling an angry orange. _No. I do not want Sagith's rider to sleep here. I want you to sleep here._

"We don't have a choice, love. I'll be right next door with Cesrik and Zareth."

Jealousy flowed down their bond. _I don't want you to sleep next to another dragon._

"It'll be alright, dear one. You're the only dragon for me." She abandoned her satchel and went to stroke Toth to soothe the temperamental queen. But Toth wouldn't be swayed, and her tail jerked.

 _Why does it matter if you and Ireth's rider are caught? He's a bluerider._

Elienya shook her head. She didn't understand why Toth seemed to dislike D'len. Perhaps she was jealous of the time she spent with him. Guilt accompanied the thought. Had she been neglecting her queen in favor of D'len? "It doesn't matter to me. I care about D'len."

 _He doesn't seem that special._

"He is to me."

 _Oh._ Toth sounded displeased with this revelation. _Well, if he's important to you…_ She trailed off, leaving the end of the sentiment ambiguous.

"If you took the time to get to know him, I'm sure you'd come to like him."

Toth sniffed. _I don't have time to waste on a bluerider._

Elienya smacked her foreleg. "Oh, come now, you're being unreasonable! All you do is sleep and eat."

 _Exactly. It's very important._

Elienya laughed and kissed Toth's forepaw, unable to stay mad at the queen for long. At that moment, Ariana entered the Weyr, Vestia and Hena behind her carrying her satchels of belongings.

Ariana folded her arms over her chest. "Aren't you finished? I want to sleep." While she spoke, Vestia and Hena moved into the Weyr and began to unpack her things, moving them into the trunk at the foot of the bed.

With a sigh, Elienya rose from Toth's couch and gathered her satchel. The queen eyed Ariana with obvious distaste, and when the other girl moved towards the bed she released a menacing growl. Ariana jumped, quickly smoothing her frightened features into calm.

"Oh, and do keep your beast under control," she said.

Elienya's eyes flashed. "You should respect your queen."

"You should respect me," she shot back. "I'm a Lord Holder's daughter."

"You're not anymore. You're a greenrider of Benden Weyr."

"Yes, I am," said Ariana proudly. "What of it?"

Elienya shook her head. "Nothing." After rubbing Toth's eyeridge, Elienya left with Peyt and walked into the adjoining Weyr. Cesrik sat at her writing desk and penned a note beneath the light of a glow basket, lifting her head as Elienya entered. Zareth slept on her stone couch, gleaming a brilliant gold in the gloom.

Cesrik blinked in surprise. "Elienya. What are you doing here?" Elienya told Cesrik everything that had transpired that evening, and by the time she finished, Cesrik's features had darkened angrily. "The nerve! That girl has no right to boss you around." She rose from her chair. "I'm going to have a word with her."

Elienya caught her sleeve to stop her. "No, you can't."

"Why not?"

"She'll tell Terina about D'len and I, and I won't be able to see him."

Cesrik eyed her and her expression warmed. "Do you really care about him that much?"

"Yes, I do. I don't want to lose him."

Cesrik pouted. "Still, I can't abide the thought of you serving a mere greenrider."

Elienya huffed. "You sound like Toth! Greenriders are important, too. They're good for fighting threat, quick and agile."

Cesrik sat back at her desk and picked up her quill. "I suppose you're right. But the girl needs to learn her place. You're a queenrider, not a servant."

"Apparently I am, for the rest of Weyrling training." Elienya closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She hadn't realized the magnitude of Ariana's request until that moment. Weyrling training would last for another Turn at least, which meant she was entirely at Ariana's mercy during that time. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience.


	18. The Firelizard Flight

WARNING: There's explicit content in this chapter. If you're underage, you should probably skip it and go to the next one.

SPOILER (if you decide to skip the chapter): Ging rises to mate, and D'len's Orin catches her.

 _Three months later…_

Elienya ran her hands along D'len's naked chest, marveling at the feeling of tough, lean muscle beneath her fingers. He gazed at her with an ardent expression, his eyes devouring her body. He knelt and took the hem of her dress in his hands, lifting it slowly to reveal her slim legs, then her stomach, then her shift, before finally tugging it over her heard. Elienya's heart raced, her very blood on fire. He ran his hands beneath her shift and trailed his fingers along her thigh, traveling towards her inner thigh. Elienya's breath caught in a gasp and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, drawing a pleased grunt from him.

Slowly, he led her back towards the bed and eased her onto her back, pinning her there with his hips. Her mouth went dry as she felt the evidence of his desire, firm and hard against her thigh. In that moment, she wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her entire life. With agonizing slowness, a taunting grin on his lips, he stripped her of her shift, exposing her breasts. Her nipples swelled as the cool night air touched them, and she stirred with a soft moan as he trailed his fingers up her ribcage to cup her breast.

Then, he slipped his hand between her legs and—

Elienya woke with a gasp, her chest heaving. She placed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, swallowing against heady waves of desire. By Faranth's egg, it was the most erotic dream she'd ever had. What had come over her? Lust consumed her, and the wet space between her legs throbbed with want.

Then, she realized the sensation didn't come from her, but from a different source. She jerked upright, Cesrik snoring beside her, and felt out for Toth. The queen slept peacefully in the other Weyr, and she released a quiet chuckle. It was far too soon for Toth to rise. It would be another Turn yet. Then, she felt out further, and realized Ging wasn't next to the queen. Eyes wide, Elienya rose and threw a robe over her night clothes before rushing from the Weyr. With a sleepy warble, Peyt flew after her, his eyelids drooping.

She found the green at the Weyr lake. She'd dragged fish from the water and blooded them, her muzzle a bright ruby red in the grey of dawn. Elienya's breath caught. Ging was rising! In response, the other firelizards appeared – brown Zan, bronze Orin, and Axiel – and hovered over the green. Ging lifted her head and crooned to her suitors in a coquettish invitation, before she took to the skies. As she did, Cesrik, D'len, and Pennoly stumbled out, drawn by the desire of their firelizards.

"Oh, shards," muttered Cesrik.

"I know," murmured Elienya.

D'len moved towards her and slipped a hand around her waist, bending down to kiss the top of her head. She squeezed his hand, her heart thrumming with pleasure at his closeness. Zan, Orin, and Axiel took off after Ging, Orin very quickly gaining the lead.

When Orin and Ging's wingtips brushed together, Ging dropped into a spiral towards the ground. At the last moment, she snapped her wings open and soared so low to the ground Elienya feared she would crash. But she gained altitude and took off, becoming no more than a green speck. Zan tucked his wings into his body and dropped behind her, Orin taking more time to maneuver after the agile green. Axiel caught up faster than the others and crooned, nipping painfully at her tail. Ging squealed and veered away. He followed, but Orin slammed into his side and sent him careening through the air. Axiel bellowed and regained his balance, hissing at the larger bronze. While the bronze and brown squabbled, Zan zipped past them and reached for Ging.

Ging flapped her wings open and jerked to an abrupt halt in midair. Warbling in surprise, Zan shot past her, his claws closing over open air. Tail whipping out behind her, Ging angled her head up and soared in a straight column towards the sky. Orin and Axiel pivoted after her, their wings beating frantically at the air. But Axiel had begun to tire and dropped back a few paces, straining to reach the green. After changing course, Zan shot up towards the sky, but he was a few paces behind the others.

At the same time, Ging began to tire, and Elienya felt her fatigue draw at her joy of toying with her pursuers. The green glanced over her shoulder and, seeing the bronze pursuing her, slowed her pace to match his. Crooning in delight, Orin pivoted behind her and clasped their wings together. An explosion of lust and desire rocked Elienya as the firelizards coupled. Zan and Axiel fluttered down to their respective riders.

"I'll sleep in an empty Weyr," said Cesrik. With a knowing wink at Elienya, she turned and walked back to the Weyr, Zan cradled in her arms. Pennoly grunted something unintelligible, took Axiel, and left.

Barely able to think through waves of lust, Elienya gripped D'len's hand and tugged him towards Cesrik's Weyr. He followed at a brisk pace, his hand never leaving hers. The moment they stepped inside the Weyr, their bodies collided in a maelstrom of passion. Unable to control herself, Elienya tore at his tunic, sending buttons flying to the ground, and ripped it from him. She ran her hands over the smooth planes of his chest the way she had in her dream. He ran his hands through her long hair, down her neck, across her stomach, taking advantage of any place he could touch her.

She kissed him with hungry, greedy pressing of her lips, and he responded by taking her lower lip into his mouth and sucking on it gently. She moaned and pushed him onto the bed, mounting him with a wicked smile. A groan slipped out from D'len's lips. His hands fumbled at her dress, and he stripped it gently over her head, followed by her shift. She felt wild and free, naked above him, and arched her head back. He rose into a seated position and curled one hand through her hair, placing the other on the small of her back. He trailed kisses down her neck to the sensitive spot at the hollow of her clavicle before dragging his tongue along her collarbone.

Driven wild with lust, she took his head in her hands and guided him down to her breast. She gasped and arched backwards as he took her nipple into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. Wetness ran down her thighs, and he moaned with satisfaction. She trailed her hand down his lean stomach and slipped it beneath the hem of his pants. Her heart bead madly in her chest as she gripped the erect, thick length of him. His hands tightened on her back and a pant escaped him. His teeth nipped at her nipple and a moan burst from her, her grip tightening on him. He grunted and smashed her against his chest as she ran her hand up and down the length of him.

Their leisurely perusal of one another's body lasted mere seconds before Elienya couldn't take it anymore. She wiggled off him and slowly stripped him of his pants, gasping in delight at the naked sight of him. Once the pants hit the floor, D'len rolled them over and loomed above her.

Despite the way his chest rose and fell, he leaned down to kiss her gently on one eyelid, then the other. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered against her neck.

"Yes. Please, by Faranth's egg, yes."

He smiled, his lips brushing her ear. "Good." He caressed her inner thigh with his hand before slipping one finger inside of her. She jerked with pleasure and moaned, digging her nails into the skin of his shoulder blades. He massaged her insides with gentle thrusts of his finger, making her pant with desire, before he added a second finger. It hurt more than the first, but soon she relaxed and could take it. Once she did, he positioned himself above her, gazed deeply into her eyes, and entered her with a gentle stroke. Pain burst through her insides and she winced. A faint trickle of bed colored the sheets. He froze.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked in alarm.

She colored. "It's my first time."

D'len's eyes widened. He placed a trembling kiss on her lips. "I'm honored," he murmured, and tears gathered in her eyes.

"I wouldn't want it to be with anybody else." Nodding, he took his time easing into her, and the pain began to subside. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her, their bodies rocking together as he slid himself into her with growing speed. She gasped and gripped him to her, biting his neck. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered into her ear. "So, so beautiful." She writhed in delight as his rhythm increased, as he showed her how to position her hips until her insides trembled, begging for release. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his back, allowing him to penetrate even deeper into her, allowing pleasure to loosen her insides. He grunted and moaned, thrusting into her with more urgency, until she thought she would fracture and break apart, until she couldn't think clearly. When she finally fell over the edge and came with writhing shudders, he came with her, crying out and spilling his warm seed into her.

Panting, D'len eased himself out of her and rolled onto his side. He hugged her to him, but she couldn't move, sprawled on her back and coated in sweat. She closed her eyes as the last tremors of release rocked through her, the muscles of her thighs clenched tight.

"I love you," whispered D'len. Elienya turned her head on the pillow and took in his handsome face, her chest warm. "I loved you from the moment you saved a group of candidates from a rebel attack. You were so brave, so fearless."

"I was afraid," she murmured.

"But you didn't let that stop you." He drew her close and kissed her cheek. "I really, truly love you."

Elienya closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "I love you, too."

She opened her eyes to see his radiant smile. "Do you want to hear the song I crafted for you?"

She curled onto her side, her back to his chest, and twined their fingers together. "Yes, please."

He buried his face in her hair and sang to her, his voice a high, rich tenor. She closed her eyes, allowing the words to fill her with love and trust, allowing herself to relive all their moments together. In this way, she drifted off to sleep with D'len singing her a sweet lullabye.


	19. The Gather

Elienya sat on the edge of her Weyrledge, feet dangling over the edge, and watched Toth fly. She'd wrapped herself in a thick blanket to ward off the chill of the morning air, the Weyrbowl wreathed in mist. The leaves on the trees beside the herdbeast pens had grown golden and brown, heralding the start of fall. The young queen practiced gliding from one side of the Weyrbowl to the other, her wings – Rukbat's rays turning them nearly translucent – straining to carry her weight. She'd grown to nearly the size of the senior Weyrling, Zareth, and continued to grow every day. It became a chore to bathe and oil her patchy hide, forcing Elienya to care for her multiple times a day.

A flock of young bronzes followed Toth as she flew, crooning encouragement and appreciation. Although Toth ignored them, Elienya felt satisfaction radiating from the queen and shook her head. At that moment, Peyt appeared from _between_ with a chirp, a note clutched in his forepaw. She'd been training him to carry notes back and forth for a few weeks, and he'd caught on quickly.

Elienya unfurled the note and smiled to herself.

 _I think about you all the time,_ D'len had written.

She took a charcoal pencil and wrote back, _I think about you when I'm bathing._ Blushing at her flirtation, she handed the note back to Peyt and sent him a visual image of D'len. Peyt cocked his head to the side, took to the air, and blinked _between._ In the Weyrbowl, the final preparations for the Gather were underway. Stalls had been set up, along with wooden tables and chairs for their guests.

 _What are they doing?_ Asked Toth.

 _They're setting up for a Gather, my love._

 _What's a Gather?_

 _All of the Weyrs and Holds come together to mingle and converse._

Toth gave a mental snort. _It sounds like a waste of time._

 _Oh really? But there will be a number of bronzes from other Weyrs for you to meet._

 _Perhaps the Gather won't be so bad,_ said Toth, and Elienya laughed. _By the way, Culioth's rider says you look beautiful this morning._

 _Tell him I said thank you,_ said Elienya hesitantly. She hadn't made up her mind about P'kaen yet. They hadn't had a chance to talk much since he introduced himself.

 _He asks if you have an escort to the Gather this evening._

 _No, I don't._

 _He'd like to take you._

Elienya chewed on her lower lip and considered. After a moment she said, _Tell him I'd be delighted._

 _I already did._

Elienya laughed. _What if I'd said no?_

 _It wouldn't have mattered. I like Culioth. He's a proud bronze._

Peyt appeared from _between,_ interrupting their conversation. She read the note and laughed. _Oh? And what do you think about?_ D'len had asked. Elienya wrote a rather graphic description of her thoughts and sent it back. Within minutes, Peyt had returned, making Elienya chuckle. _Do you need to bathe anytime soon?_

 _Now that you mention it, I do feel rather dirty,_ she replied, proud of herself for the innuendo. After Toth finished her lessons, and Elienya had fed and bathed her, she summoned D'len to her chambers. They climbed into the bath together, the water swirling in a constant flow towards the drain. Their love making was gentle and lazy, nothing like the lust unfueled coupling of their first night together. He took his time teasing her breasts with his mouth and tongue, chewing on her nipple until she nearly came from that alone. She explored the length of him while his hand dipped between her legs, coaxing her into a writhing orgasm that had her entire body quaking. The moment he entered her, her insides clenched and she tipped over the edge, fracturing and shuddering around him, and his climax came quickly after that.

Once they'd finished, they curled into bed together, dozing fitfully. Elienya trailed her fingers on D'len's chest, following the curve of his pectorals. "I have something to tell you," she said.

D'len squeezed her shoulder. "What?"

"I agreed to let P'kaen take me to the Gather."

D'len stiffened. "I'd planned to ask you."

"I know."

He turned his head away from her, slipping his hand from under her head. She lifted onto her elbows and studied his face, but he'd cut himself off from her. "D'len?"

"I don't want you to go with him," he said.

Elienya brushed his hair out of his face and kissed his cheek. "I know, but I have a duty to the Weyr. When Toth rises, a bronze will catch her, and I have to find a suitable leader before then. But you don't have to worry. My heart belongs to you and no one else."

D'len turned back to her, and the hurt in his eyes made her chest ache. "Does it really?"

Elienya frowned. "Of course."

D'len brushed his knuckles across her cheek then traced her lips with his finger. "Sometimes it's hard for me to believe you're really mine," he whispered. "You're beautiful, and smart, and strong, and I ask myself, 'what's this amazing girl doing with me?' It feels like a dream."

"D'len, you're the kindest man I've ever met. Why wouldn't I fall in love with you?"

Smiling, he reached up and kissed her, gently, on the lips. She returned the lips, placing her palm on his chest.

"I suppose I'll let P'kaen take you," he murmured against her lips.

She chuckled. "Why thank you." She snuggled against his side and his arm snaked around her back, and they both fell into a light, restful sleep after that.

The Gather took place that evening. Cesrik and Elienya changed together, since Ariana still had full use of her Weyr, and Cesrik helped Elienya with her make-up, keeping up a steady string of chatter the entire time.

"What do you think the other bronzeriders will be like?" she asked excitedly.

"What about L'ton?" she asked.

Cesrik swished her wrist. "I ended it with him."

"Why?"

"He had bad breath."

Elienya blurted out a laugh. "That's a horrible reason to break up with someone!"

"Why would I waste my time with someone when there are plenty of eligible bronzeriders available?"

Elienya rolled her eyes, then asked, "What do you think of P'kaen?"

"He's an arduous lover, but a little too rough for me."

Elienya blinked. She hadn't realized Cesrik had taken him to bed. "I mean as a person."

"Oh." Cesrik tipped her head to the side and tapped her lips. "Truthfully? I don't know. I know he's ambitious to a fault – he's tried to attend a Weyrcouncil multiple times – and he knows what he wants. Why do you ask?"

"I agreed to let him take me to the Gather," she said.

"Ah. He's courting you."

"Yes."

Cesrik paused, her fingers brushing Elienya's hair back from her shoulders. She teased the curls into a braid, then coiled it atop her head. "What does D'len think about that?"

"He's not happy, but he understands."  
"Does he?"

Elienya closed her eyes. "I hope so."

"Eli…do you think it's worth losing D'len over? Why don't you just wait until Toth rises and see who catches her. Don't put D'len through this."

Elienya's eyes flew open. "Who said I'll lose D'len?" she asked defensively.

"I didn't say it _would_ happen, just that it could. D'len's sensitive. It's a good quality, but he's bound to get hurt."

"I would wait," said Elienya slowly, "but I need to find a good leader, a leader who will believe in Thread and help me prepare the Weyr."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

"In that case, it's a perfect time to test P'kaen tonight. You can see if he's receptive to Thread."

"Oh, I plan to."

Cesrik smiled and slapped her shoulder. "Good. You're finished. It's my turn!" Once the girls finished preparing – Elienya had chosen her finest gown the color of a pink, flowering rose, the bodice cleaving to her chest and accentuating her curves, the skirts lose and flowing around her legs, and in her typical fashion Cesrik had chosen a form-fitting gown that left nothing of her body to the imagination, the split bodice going all the way to her navel to expose a healthy mound of breast, and the back cut all the way to her backside – they strode out of the Weyr and met Pennoly and Eryn. The greenriders had chosen similar attire – Eryn's skirts were full and wide, making her look like a Lord Holder's daughter, while Pennoly had chosen a more conservative gown with the neckline cut off at her collar bones – and the girls chatted as they walked down to the Weyrbowl.

The instant they walked outside, the sounds of merriment and conversation floated through the air. Overhead, foreign dragonriders spiraled down to land on the Weyr green, their riders vaulting off their necks and sending their dragons away for other riders to land. Toth curled into a ball on her Weyrledge, her opalescent eyes gleaming in the night as she surveyed the arriving dragons. The scent of spiced wine, roasted wherry meat, and sweet buns lured Elienya towards the food stalls.

 _Culioth's rider waits for you by the jewelry maker,_ said Toth.

 _Thanks, dear._ After she bought herself a cup of spiced wine and a sweetbun, Elienya bade farewell to the girls and walked over to find P'kaen bartering with the jeweler. She caught the tail end of their conversation and waited, taking a bite of the sweetbun. It melted on her tongue, the sweet flavor making her mouth water. Victorious, P'kaen purchased the necklace for three marks off the original price.

He turned and smiled at the sight of her. "What do you think?" He lifted the necklace, and noticed the pendant on the rosegold chain mirrored the color of her eyes.

"It's beautiful."

"Good. It's yours." He helped clasp the necklace around her throat and brushed her hair off her shoulders, his fingers lingering against the exposed skin of her back. Her skin prickled uncomfortably, but she forced herself to smile.

"Thank you." As they turned to stroll through the vendors, Elienya spotted H'neren, Weyrleader of Fort Weyr, and perked up. It was the perfect opportunity to approach both H'neren and P'kaen with the topic of Thread. "Would you mind if we spoke with H'neren?" she asked P'kaen. "I have Weyr business to address with him."

P'kaen's eyes gleamed. "Of course."

She walked over to the Weyrleader, who stood alone to the side of the dance floor. "Good evening, Weyrleader H'neren."

The Weyrleader, a stout man with brown hair and green eyes, turned. "Who are you?" he asked brusquely.

"Junior Weyrwoman Elienya, rider of gold Toth."

H'neren's expression changed from dubious to respectful in a heartbeat. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Weyrwoman. I saw Toth when we landed – she looks healthy, and she's grown rather large. I wager she'll be larger than the Senior Queen by the time she's fully grown."

Elienya flushed with pleasure. "Thank you, Weyrleader. How does Olioth fare?"

H'neren snorted. "He's good. He's been restless for some reason, snapping at the other dragons and pestering our senior queen, Yelith." Elienya had no doubt it had to do with the Red Star. Before she could continue, H'neren turned to P'kaen. "And you are?"

"Weyrling P'kaen, rider of bronze Culioth."

"Ah, a fellow bronzerider. Congratulations, Weyrling."

"Thank you, sir."

"So," said Elienya, drawing the Weyrleader's attention back to her, "what did you think of the records we found in the Lower Caverns? I couldn't believe the old rooms existed! And the parchments were kept in such fine condition."

H'neren's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Elienya blinked. "Why, didn't V'neron share the news with you?"

H'neren's jaw clenched. "No," he said with quiet irritation, "he didn't."

"Well, I apologize. Perhaps I shouldn't—"

"No, no, I want to hear. What did you find?"

"There was a fascinating collection of constellations of the orbit of Pern to the Red Star." An utter lack of interest lingered in H'neren's gaze, but he nodded for her to continue. "Also, there was evidence of a grave danger to befall Pern in three years time."

H'neren arched a brow. "What's that?"

"It's a menace only the dragons can face," she said, "with flame. As the Teaching Ballad goes, _Dragonment must fly when Thread are in the sky._ "

"Thread?" H'neren scoffed. "You can't honestly believe that silly legend. It's a story told to keep children in line."

"But, sir, there's proof."

"Proof," he said dubiously.

"Yes. I've made copies of the records. If you'd like, I can bring them to you."

While H'neren remained skeptical, she could tell he was an intelligent man, and he couldn't deny the proof if it was presented to him. "Fine," he said. "Bring them to me before I leave, and I'll take a look."

Elienya beamed. "Thank you, sir. I'll have them to you shortly." The conversation turned to lighter subjects then, discussing the sizes of the most recent clutches, and the progress of the Weyrlings. H'neren boasted of the number of gold queens in his Weyr – five, to date – and the health of his senior queen. Apparently, the Senior Weyrwoman, Ceila, was with child, and Elienya congratulated them.

When Elienya excused herself, P'kaen walked at her side with a quiet, pensive air. "Do you truly believe in Thread?" he asked.

Elienya watched him from the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction. "Yes," she said.

"Why?" asked P'kaen. To his credit, he didn't laugh at her, or berate her and call her foolish.

"Why else were the dragons created?" she said, choosing her words with care. "Imagine, the dragons charring Thread from the sky with flame. The Holders would worship us, and you could fly your own wing as wingleader," she said, playing into his ambition. "You'd be saving all of Pern."

P'kaen's eyes gleamed. "I do like the sound of that." He hesitated, his expression torn between his desire for glory and his disdain for a childish fancy. "You said there were records proving its existence?"

"Yes," said Elienya.

"May I see them?"

Elienya grinned. "Of course." Pride tingled through her veins, filling her a heady sense of triumph. It had been a very productive Gather, indeed.


End file.
